


Kadena Ficlet Archive

by bazinga01



Category: The Bold Type
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-07
Updated: 2018-04-30
Packaged: 2018-12-24 22:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 64
Words: 21,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12022341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bazinga01/pseuds/bazinga01
Summary: This is an archive of all ficlets related to the Kat/Adena pairing that I've posted to my tumblr account during the airing of season one and in the subsequent hiatus. I'm making them available here for easier access and navigation. The majority of them are between 250 and 500 words. All of the prompts are from asks received on tumblr.





	1. Table of Contents

**Author's Note:**

> Please keep in mind that many of these (up through around #35) were written in between waiting for new episodes, in the midst of fan theories and spoilers. So some of them no longer fit the canon of the show while others do.

  1. Table of Contents
  2. "Is that my shirt?"
  3. AU where Kat teaches Adena how to use Instagram
  4. "I'm sorry"
  5. “I missed you so much”
  6. Jane and Sutton official stamp of approval
  7. "My parents are traveling to visit, they can't know, they'll kill me."
  8. Adena and the ot3 out together and they see Adena being cute with Kat
  9. “I can't sleep so will you just exist with me?”
  10. Similar scene to kat telling Jane/Sutton about kissing adena, but with maybe their first time? + Jane and Sutton keep badgering Kat about her sex life but for once her lips are sealed because ~feelings~
  11. Kat waking up to adena taking pictures of her in the soft low light
  12. Kat has a little break down in front of Jane/Sutton when she realizes she's in love with adena.
  13. Kat can no longer hold in the words "I love you"
  14. Kat is so happy she just won't stop smiling and Jane/Sutton think her face is going to get stuck like that
  15. Kat showing mainstream music to Adena
  16. Odd habit one of them has that the other notices after some time
  17. Kadena + having to say goodbye, even if only for a little bit
  18. Adena is just so smooth and kat can't take it (NSFW)
  19. Trying to cook and ending ordering fast food and kissing
  20. The Sixth Hour (original post, no prompt)
  21. Kat going to a specialty shop to get Adena's tea, coffee, and spices that remind her of home as a surprise
  22. Kat invited adena to a scarlet get together and watches her schmooze everybody
  23. Kat being the one who takes Adena to the carnival and tries to win her gf a prize
  24. Kat and Adena say goodbye
  25. super competitive Kat with Sutton, Jane and Adena at game night where they play monopoly
  26. Kat making her relationship Facebook official
  27. "I want you." (NSFW)
  28. Kat gets jealous of a girl trying to talk to Adena
  29. Adena finally makes it back to the US and Kat takes her on the date they were supposed to have
  30. Kat comes out to Jane and Sutton
  31. Kat inviting Adena to a work event for the first time as her gf + Jacqueline being proud seeing Kat in a happy relationship
  32. Kat teasing Adena at the fitting room (NSFW)
  33. “Daddy”
  34. Kat keeps tweeting about love, relationship and angsty stuff ambiguously but she was surprised to see Adena replying to one of those tweets
  35. Jane and Sutton: "i can't believe you had sex in an airport" *high five*
  36. Kat describing her first time with Adena to Jane and Sutton, but all blushing and smiley and shy about it
  37. Adena actually does start a new project starring Kat and Kat's reaction when Adena shows her the proofs
  38. Kat and Adena reuniting in the Peru airport
  39. Kadena in Peru
  40. Kadena has the DTR (define the relationship) talk
  41. Jane and Sutton finally meet Adena for the first time officially as Kat's girlfriend
  42. Kat asks Jacqueline for the time off to go to Peru
  43. Kadena being cute with each other and Sutton/Jane calling them goals
  44. Adena asking Sutton and Jane for advice and help about throwing a surprise party for Kat
  45. Kat's been posting pictures of Adena on insta with cute caps and couple pics etc, and they're starting to get a little internet famous
  46. Adena is on a business trip for a month, Kat is a mess without her (NSFW)
  47. Kadena and cardio (NSFW)
  48. Adena figuring out that scratching the nape of Kat's neck (like how she did during their first kiss) turns her into goo, and using it to her advantage
  49. Soulmate
  50. Kat gets hurt and Adena rushes to be by her side
  51. Moving in together
  52. Kat in a suit + Kat has a hard time picking out an outfit for a date
  53. Against a wall (NSFW-ish)
  54. AU where Kat and Adena work in the same building, Kat has had a crush on her for a while, and they get stuck in an elevator together
  55. Kat calling Adena "baby" and Sutton's reaction
  56. One of them can't drive
  57. AU where Kat doesn't know Adena and she accidentally sexts her
  58. Kat's dream in 1x02 (NSFW)
  59. Adena is ticklish
  60. Laser tag
  61. Sutton and Jane show up at Kat's place
  62. The first time Adena dreams about Kat (NSFW)
  63. Kat takes Adena as her date to her cousin's wedding
  64. Kat goes down on Adena for the first time (NSFW)




	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Is that my shirt?"

She hasn’t heard from Adena since she got to work, though she’s not surprised.

Today is installation day for Adena’s upcoming gallery show. Which means no texts. And also that her girlfriend has probably neglected to eat lunch, too consumed in bringing her creative vision to life.

When Kat shows up at the gallery, wrap and iced tea in hand for Adena, she’s met with an array of canvases scattered throughout the room and—

“Is that my shirt?”

Adena’s head turns to the studio entrance at the sound of her voice, and she sets down the piece she’s currently maneuvering, smile lighting up her face. She’s wearing an old pair of jeans and a simple hijab, the worn fabric of a grey long-sleeved summer camp t-shirt hanging loosely from the petite set of her shoulders.

They meet in the middle of the room and Kat presses a soft kiss to her lips, fingers gripping lightly at the fabric of her shirt by Adena’s hip.

Adena sinks into the frame of her body, forehead nestled against her neck.

“Yes. It’s very soft and it smells like you.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Kat teaches Adena how to use Instagram

Adena takes to Instagram far too well once Kat teaches her. Or, well, maybe that’s not quite true. She has no care for intense editing on her smartphone and no patience for all the hashtags.

But her account? The photo stream is so effortlessly aesthetically beautiful that Kat is in awe. Adena is gaining followers constantly. A fact which her girlfriend deflects with a coy, “It’s because I have a gorgeous model.”

That’s not why. It’s because the photos are artful in a way that reveals Adena as a true photographer.

But, as Jane will regularly point out—“Babe, Adena’s Instagram is like seventy percent pictures of you.”

She wonders if she should be embarrassed by that, but she’s really not. Because over half the Scarlet office follows Adena on Instagram, and even if Adena isn’t one for hashtags, the comments are constantly filled with heart emojis and #goals.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm sorry"

“I’m sorry.”

Adena says it so softly, breaking the silence between them and heart sinking at the tension in Kat’s posture.

They’ve made it to an empty street and they are still walking but Kat’s hands are clenched at her sides.

“Don’t. It’s not your fault. You didn’t feel safe.” Adena stops them on the sidewalk, reaches out and tucks a loose strand of curls behind Kat’s ear. ‘I’m not mad at you,” Kat continues. “I’m mad at this world. I’m mad that we have to question when it’s safe to hold hands in public. But I’m not…” Kat huffs out a frustrated breath and leans into Adena’s touch. “Please don’t ever apologize for keeping us safe.”

Adena leans in, brushes their lips together in a brief intimate kiss, and Kat relaxes. “Okay then. I’m not sorry.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I missed you so much”

Adena returns from Paris on a Wednesday.

She knows about Coco now, the fullness of what’s been going on in their relationship, the mental toll that it’s been taking on Adena. The words from their phone conversation a few nights ago play over and over in Kat’s head. The “I can’t let her do this to me anymore” and the “love shouldn’t make me cry this much”, but most of all the “I’m coming back to New York, Kat.”

Adena returns from Paris on a Wednesday. Kat is waiting for her in the international terminal, just past customs, and something swells inside of her chest when she sees her.

Adena’s tired little smile, still several feet away, cuts through her and alights the butterflies in her ribs while her feet carry her forward.

Kat hugs her fiercely, palms pressing against the soft fabric of her sweater, into the muscles of her back. Her “hi” comes out as this choked sound against Adena’s shoulder. Then she’s breathing deep and pulling back and meeting Adena’s eyes, and the “I missed you so much,” slips past, reverent, before Kat can stop herself.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Sutton official stamp of approval

Jane is trying to track down Kat, Sutton trailing just a couple steps behind her, when they reach Kat’s empty desk. Well, not entirely empty because—

“Oh, my God,” Jane stares at the vase. “Are those lilies? Did Adena send her—“

“Flowers,” Sutton cuts in. “Adena definitely sent her flowers at work.”

Just then Kat is rounding the corner, making her way back towards her desk. “Hey guys, what’s—“

“Have you seen this?” Jane interrupts, bursting with excitement.

And it’s clear then, that they just got delivered and Kat didn’t know, because her whole demeanor transforms. She’s suddenly blushing and smiling and trying to hide it, and—

“I can’t handle how cute this is,” Sutton says. “Jane help me, I can’t handle this.”

Kat is reading the note attached and turning a deeper shade of pink, and they both watch, smiling.

“Tell Adena we love her already.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "My parents are traveling to visit, they can't know, they'll kill me."

“Kat…Kat, what are you doing?”

Kat ducks her head out from behind the kitchen cabinet where she’s reaching for the tallest shelf. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

Adena laughs, exasperated, and shakes her head. “It looks like you’re hiding your rather larger collection of junk food.”

Kat peeks her head out again, triumphant. “ _Exactly._ ”

Adena maneuvers around the kitchen, stopping to stand behind Kat and rest her palms against Kat’s shoulder blades, leaning forward to laugh into her back.

“Can I ask  _why_?”

Kat turns to face her, suddenly very serious. “My parents are travelling to visit, they can’t know, they’ll kill me.” Adena raises her eyebrows but otherwise doesn’t comment. “You don’t understand. I grew up on Raisin Bran. And steamed vegetables. They’re ruthless.”

Adena bites her lip, trying in vain to contain her laughter. “I can’t wait to meet them.”

Kat’s expression shifts into a soft smile and she leans into Adena’s touch. “They’re gonna love you.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena and the ot3 out together and they see Adena being cute with Kat

The shopping date is Sutton’s idea, a way for them to get to know Adena without the pressure of them all sitting around her at dinner. Not to mention Adena literally always looks good and maybe Sutton can borrow her fashion eye?

They’re in a cute little boutique of a store, each wandering around, when Jane elbows her and quietly motions toward where Kat and Adena are looking at jewelry together.

That’s when Sutton sees it, the intimate little smile that Adena is giving Kat while she holds an earring up to Kat’s ear in front of the mirror and whispers something.

Kat blushes, and if they weren’t already watching, they would’ve missed the quick kiss that Adena presses into her cheek.

“Do you think they know how cute they are?” Jane whispers.

Sutton blinks away and picks a blazer off the rack that she wants Kat to try on, moving towards the couple. “Oh, they definitely know.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I can't sleep so will you just exist with me?”

It’s 2:40am when Kat shifts and blinks awake, realizes that Adena’s bed is empty beside her. She rubs at her eyes and frowns, padding around the partition into the living room.

Adena is sitting sideways on the sofa clutching a mug of tea, body bathed in darkness aside from the street light pollution filtering in through the window.

“Babe?” Kat questions, voice soft and concerned.

Adena turns to meet her eyes, and there are no tears there but she looks lost, like her mind is drifting somewhere else entirely.

“I woke up and I couldn’t fall back asleep,” Adena whispers, pliant when Kat wedges into the sofa behind her and wraps her arms around her.

“Is everything okay?” Kat waits for her to answer, patient, and kisses at the exposed skin of her shoulder.

“Will you just…exist with me right now? In the quiet?”

Kat frowns and holds her tighter, nodding against the side of Adena’s head. “Sure.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Similar scene to kat telling Jane/Sutton about kissing adena, but with maybe their first time? + Jane and Sutton keep badgering Kat about her sex life but for once her lips are sealed because ~feelings~

The door to the fashion closet is barely slammed shut before Jane and Sutton turn on her, with a simultaneous, “Tell us everything.”

And it’s not that she’s against talking about it necessarily, it’s just that she’s suddenly really overwhelmed and not sure how to explain everything that she’s feeling right now.

“I…it was…”Kat starts and stops, pauses again.

They misread her hesitation, and it makes sense, because she’s never hesitant to talk about sex.

“Oh no…was it bad?” Sutton says, swooping down to sit beside her.

“Did you freeze up?” Jane chimes in. “Were you totally not into the whole girl on girl thing?”

She shakes her head to get them to stop because no, not even close. She’s trying to figure out how to explain, to correct them, and the first thing that escapes her mouth is, “I came three times.”

Jane and Sutton both fall quiet, then Sutton’s “Wow, okay” and Jane’s amused smile get her to keep talking.

“It was, um, it was amazing. And intense? It was intense,” Kat rambles. “Lots of eye contact…and foreplay… and talking…”

Jane listens on, amused, then turns to Sutton. “I think she’s trying to describe intimacy.”

“Shh, don’t mock her, she’s having a moment.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat waking up to Adena taking pictures of her in the soft low light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ( I think Adena would be big on consent before photographing Kat in a vulnerable time/place, so I switched this up a tad.)

It’s early still, morning light just starting to filter into the room, and the radiator hisses in the corner. On cold mornings like this, Kat always drinks her coffee in bed, clinging to the warmth for as long as possible before she has to go to work while Adena sleeps in beside her.

But this morning she stirs awake, looks over while Kat sips her coffee, eyes closed. It’s one of those rare moments where Kat is enjoying the silence, not yet consumed in catching up with the world on her phone.

She is breathtaking like this, in the stillness, and Adena reaches her arm across to the table where her camera is resting.

Kat looks down, smiles, when she realizes Adena is awake beside her.

“Can I take your picture?” Adena whispers, shifting up to a sitting position. She wants to explain, that it’s the light, and it’s how Kat looks exactly in this moment right now, but she thinks maybe Kat understands. That she knows Adena well enough now to understand.

Because Kat quirks her lips, a little half smile, and nods. Then she goes back to sipping at her coffee while Adena lifts her camera, blankets tangled up between them.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat has a little break down in front of Jane/Sutton when she realizes she's in love with Adena

Sutton gets snatched by Kat first, pulling her along with no explanation through the Scarlet offices until they locate Jane, and then it’s the both of them being dragged towards the fashion closet.

They sit together, watching Kat pace back and forth, stopping for a second to look up at them, words stuck in her throat, only to keep pacing again.

“What happened with Adena?” Jane asks, and Kat’s head shoots up. “Oh come on, what else would this be about?”

Coco has been out of the picture for a couple weeks now, and Adena is back in New York, and Sutton doesn’t know how many more days she can take of Kat being this high strung.

“You still doing that whole giving her space and not jumping her bones thing?” she asks, just to confirm.

Kat looks at her helplessly and nods, collapsing to a sitting position on the floor and leaning against a rack of clothes.

“She fell asleep at my place last night,” Kat says. And Sutton is certain she knows exactly where this conversation is going until—“I think I might be in love with her?”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat can no longer hold in the words "I love you"

“Kat…” Adena speaks gently, not wanting to push too much. “You’ve been looking at me all day like you’re terrified. At first I thought I was imagining it, but something is bothering you. What’s wrong?”

Kat ducks her head, avoiding eye contact, and then shrugs. “It’s, it’s nothing. Just, some work stuff on my mind.”

Adena places her hand against the curve of Kat’s elbow, waits for her to look up and meet her eyes. “Please be honest with me.”

Kat’s eyes start to fill with tears and dread settles in Adena’s stomach. “You’re really gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”

Adena opens her mouth to answer, but Kat lifts her hand to the air, stopping her. Kat is silent for several seconds, biting at her lip, then Kat’s eyes close and Adena hears her speak, quiet and fragile.

“I love you.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat is so happy she just won't stop smiling and Jane/Sutton think her face is going to get stuck like that

“Here’s your coffee,” Jane says in the lobby, meeting up with Kat and walking alongside her. Kat is smiling far too much for 8:30am and Jane squints at her. “The chai’s not that good, I promise.”

She waits for Kat to roll her eyes and drop the smile but it never happens. She’s still smiling when Sutton joins them several seconds later.

“Why’s your face like that?” Sutton says in lieu of hello, then turns to Jane. “Jane, why is Kat’s face like that? It’s 8:30.”

“This is what I’m saying. Kat, —“

“I went on a date last night,” Kat finally cuts in, giddy. “With Adena.”

Jane and Sutton both skid to a halt, turning to face her and block her path.

“Waiiit a second. A date date?” Sutton pries, staring her down.

“Like the kind with food? And talking?” Jane clarifies. Because they all know Kat’s traditional definition of a date, which is basically screening people from apps by meeting them in a public place first, and that’s not exactly…

“Mhmm,” Kat chimes, and Sutton bounces on her feet.

“Ok, we’ve got like four minutes before the staff meeting starts. Spill.”

“And try to adjust your face, because people are gonna think you’re on something,” Jane adds.

“Yeah, on love,” Sutton goads, and Kat swats at her.

“So she took me to this restaurant…”


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat showing mainstream music to Adena

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i thought about this ask for a little bit and came to the conclusion, based on my own headcanons/characterizations, that adena probably has basic familiarity with U.S. popular music (i assume that’s what you meant by mainstream). not only has she been living in the states, but from what i know American music has a pretty large international reach. perhaps folks disagree with me, but those are my thoughts.
> 
> so instead i’ll leave you with this:

“Hey, do you have a CD reader?”

“Hello to you too, Kat,” Sutton answers, putting the phone on speaker in the living room so Jane can hear too. “You’re on speaker, Jane’s here.”

“Great. So, CD reader?”

Jane looks over at her, confusion on her face. “Sorry, what?”

“I have a CD and nothing to play it on,” Kat answers, sounding frustrated. “My Mac doesn’t have a disc drive and I never bought the extension because I stream everything now like a normal person.”

Jane suppresses a laugh and Sutton’s smiling when she says, “Why do you have a CD?”

Kat is quiet on the line for several seconds before they hear, “Because Adena gave me one.”

“Oh my god, did she make you a mix tape?” Sutton coos, while Jane laughs in the background at Kat’s predicament.

“I hear you laughing, tiny Jane. S’not my fault Adena has apparently never heard of Spotify,” Kat huffs.

“And they say romance is dead,” Jane shouts, so Kat can hear her.

“I have a CD player, babe,” Sutton soothes, because she thinks Kat might hang up on them if they tease anymore. “Feel free to swing by if you want to pick it up.”

“ _Thank_ you.”

“Any time.” Then, “You better tell us about that mix tape once you’ve listened to it.”

She thinks Kat might be smiling on the other end of the line when she answers, “I make no promises.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Odd habit one of them has that the other notices after some time

“ _Relax_ ,” Adena hums, rubbing soothing patterns against Kat’s back while she stands at the kitchen counter brewing coffee.

“Hm-what?” Kat turns to look at her.

“You’re nervous,” Adena says, soft. “About that big budget meaning today, I presume. You need to relax.”

“How did you…”

Adena loops her arms around Kat’s waist, holding her with a loose grip and pressing a kiss into her hair.

“You have a tell,” Adena smiles, feeling the muscle tension seep away as Kat sinks into her embrace.

“Do I?”

“Mhm.”

“Care to share?”

Adena debates whether or not to tell her for several seconds, not wanting to make Kat hyperaware of a subconscious habit. But she knows it will only bother her, not knowing, so—“You hold your elbow with your opposite hand,” she says, kissing at her shoulder this time. “When you’re anxious.”

Kat frowns and looks down to where, sure enough, her left hand is still clasped around her right elbow, despite being somewhat relaxed against Adena.

“Just breathe.” Adena hugs her from behind, a brief embrace, then steps away to grab her purse and keys. “And let me know how the meeting goes.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kadena + having to say goodbye, even if only for a little bit

Airports have become such heavy spaces for them over time. Tearful reunions, forced goodbyes. Bearing the fear that comes from Adena having to exist here at all, surveilled, profiled.

So it’s strange to be curbside at their terminal’s departure area, knowing that everything is okay. There are still some eyes on Adena, there are always are. Her hijab has that effect. But Kat doesn’t pay them any attention. Her focus is only for Adena, pulling her in for a slow hug, holding her.

It’s sweet, a comfort she easily gets lost in, with Adena’s warmth and the smell of her perfume surrounding her.

“Alright lovebirds, break it up,” Sutton heckles, leaning against the handle of her suitcase.

Kat spins around to glare and Adena’s grip loosens, smiling.

“We promise to send you plenty bikini pictures of Kat,” Jane assures, and Kat shoves at her.

Kat’s, “I hate you both,” sounds out at the same time as Adena’s, “Oh, I’m counting on it.”

And then the three of them are laughing while Kat’s face blushes pink.

Adena reaches up to stroke her cheek, soothing. “Have fun in Cabo, love. Let me know when you land.” Then she turns, still leaning into Kat. “And you two, all of you, please be safe.”

“You hear that, Kat?” Jane says. “No tequila on the roof.”

“I mess up  _one_  time and…”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena is just so smooth and kat can't take it (NSFW)

“Your skin is so smooth right here,” Kat murmurs, lips resting against the skin of Adena’s inner thigh.

Adena makes a noise, like she’s about to say something, but then Kat is grazing her teeth against the spot and Adena’s attempt at words unravels into a moan.

“ _You_ …are  _such_  a tease,” Adena finally groans, when Kat stops again.

Kat trails her lips up, placing feather-light kisses until she reaches the seam of her underwear.

“Is that a complaint?” she says, blinking up from her spot at the edge of the mattress. She nips at Adena’s skin again, this time along her hip bone, and feels her shudder.

“No, not yet,” Adena answers, breathless. She moves her hand away from where it’s clenched around the sheets, runs her fingers through Kat’s hair. “But it will be if you keep this up for too much longer.”

Kat carries on for several more minutes until Adena surrenders, until she’s arching up into even the faintest of touches. She takes mercy on her then, peeling off her underwear and shifting so that Adena’s legs are draped over her shoulders.

“C’mere.”


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to cook and ending ordering fast food and kissing

She hears Kat’s apartment before she sees it. Or, well, more accurately, she hears the smoke alarm as soon as she exits the elevator on Kat’s floor. The smoke alarm sound that is definitely coming from Kat’s place.

Kat is frantic when she responds to Adena’s knock, swinging open the door and towel hanging from her other hand.

“Hi. You look amazing. I’m so sorry, give me sec,” she rushes, before Adena can even get a word in. Then Kat’s long arms are waving the towel, dispersing the smoke, until the beeping finally stops.

“What happened here?” she asks, innocent, biting at her lip to keep from laughing.

“Me trying to be romantic,” Kat answers, almost resigned, and Adena is suddenly aware that Kat is more upset than she thought. “I should’ve just ordered take out, everyone said so.”

“Hey, hey,” Adena cuts in, setting her purse down on the sofa and moving to stand in front of Kat. “Kat, look at me.” Kat eventually meets her eyes, looking upset and embarrassed. “You don’t have to cook for me to prove that you’re romantic. I already know that you are.”

Kat huffs then drops the towel to the ground, sinking into Adena’s embrace. “That’s not the point. I wanted to cook for you.”

“Do you know what I think?” Adena says, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Kat’s ear.

“That we should just order pizza and make out on the sofa?”

Adena shakes her head, smiling. “I was going to say that next time we should cook together. But yes, I also accept your idea.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sixth Hour (original post, no prompt)

It is nearing 3 AM in the Lufthansa VIP lounge at JFK Airport. They’ve been the only ones here for a couple of hours now, aside from the two kind and diligent staff working the overnight shift. Kat commandeered the speaker system in the lounge about an hour ago, and Adena’s head is pressed into Kat’s shoulder, both of them lying down, when she says, “Play me a song that you love that you’ve never shared.”

Adena’s voice is soft, weighted by the exhaustion of nearing 24 hours without sleep.

“Hmm, okay, give me a sec to think of one,” Kat answers into her hair, scrolling through her phone.

Kat is quiet for a couple minutes after that and the song hasn’t changed on the speakers. But Adena is patient, knowing that Kat is carefully considering her response.

She closes her eyes and breathes in Kat’s presence, relaxing, and a new song starts. It’s slow, a piano melody that she doesn’t recognize. But as soon as the lyrics start, she knows why it took Kat a while to play it. Because the lyrics are honest, scary, and definitely for Adena. And—

“This is an American country band, isn’t it?” She can tell by the hint of the accents and the style.

Kat laughs, and Adena hears the nervous edge behind it. “Yes. Jane and Sutton can never know.”

“That you like some country music?” Adena wraps her arm across Kat’s stomach, rolling closer into her. “Or that you’re a secret romantic?”

Kat’s arm shifts to splay across her back and Adena sinks into the warmth. “Mm, both.”

Adena laughs against her neck and focuses on the motion of Kat’s hand, rubbing in soothing circles on her back.

“Relationships always scared me,” Kat says, quieter, a confession, and Adena holds her tighter. “But, I don’t know, I heard this song a few years ago and I thought, y’know, I can never imagine experiencing what they’re singing. But it sounded beautiful anyway. And a part of me really wanted it.”

Adena shifts and pushes up onto her elbow, meeting Kat’s eyes. They are startlingly close and every emotion is laid bare on Kat’s face. Kat blinks, looking to the side to avoid the sudden intensity of it all.

“And now?” Adena whispers.

“I think you know.”

“Say it anyway.”

She strokes her fingers against the hair behind Kat’s ear, calming, and gives Kat the pause she needs to be brave.

“I get it now,” Kat says, voice watery. “What they’re singing about. And it’s not fair that I’m about to lose it already.”

“ _Kat_ …”

There are tears in Kat’s eyes and Adena watches as she fights it, as she starts closing in on herself, closing off. She wants to comfort, to get through to Kat with her words, to keep her from shutting down. But none of the words feel right, none of them feel like enough for what Kat needs right now.

So she does what she hopes will communicate it, what she prays will get through to her.

Kat turns her head away, just a fraction, when Adena connects their lips, and fear strikes through her. But then Kat is surging forward, connecting their lips with a desperation that threatens to unravel her.

With every push and pull, the twist of Kat’s hand against the fabric of her sweater, the frantic pulse of her kiss, Adena stays steady for her. She kisses back and guides Kat until she is slowing, until the kiss turns languid and Kat’s hand relaxes. She doesn’t stop until Kat does, foreheads pressed together. Kat releases a shaky breath into the small space between their lips, and Adena rubs their noses together.

Eventually Kat smiles, scrunching her nose, and Adena tips her head back.

“I think they have private overnight rooms, where we can rest. Shall I go ask for one?”

Kat’s smile turns flirtatious, curious, and her eyebrows lift. “Private overnight rooms?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not big on lyric fics nowadays because I like to leave it open for folks, but if you’re curious the song was Just a Kiss by Lady Antebellum


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat going to a specialty shop to get Adena's tea, coffee, and spices that remind her of home as a surprise

Kat lets herself into Adena’s place with her key and slips off her shoes, greeted by the sound of Adena chopping in the kitchen and her warm, “ _Kat_?”

“Hi babe,” she calls out, making her way over. “Guess what I picked up today?”

Adena looks up when she enters and gives her a big smile, leans over the counter to press a kiss to her lips.

“What?”

Kat rustles through her purse to pull out a small clear plastic bag containing a red spice.

“I heard you complaining the other day that you were out and I was near Nagilah today in the city, and since I love you  _suuu mach_  I thought I’d do you a favor.”

Kat waggles her eyebrows, and Adena shakes her head laughing, setting down the knife. “That was a terrible joke.”

“Yeah, but it made you laugh, so I still win.”

Adena plucks the bag from her hand and tips up to kiss her cheek. “Thank you for picking up more sumac for me.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat invited Adena to a scarlet get together and watches her schmooze everybody

Scarlet’s biggest annual fundraiser is tonight, at The Plaza, which means lots of small talk with rich people.

Which, you know, okay, she’s totally good at. If she’s being honest.

But she feels bad for inviting Adena, subjecting her to the stuffiness of it all. Especially because Kat keeps getting pulled away, leaving Adena with Jane or Sutton.

Kat finally manages to escape from conversation with an old white man who won’t stop talking about the publishing world in the 70s and god, she just wants a drink and her girlfriend.

The drink is easy, picked up from the next waiter who floats by. But Jane and Sutton are standing together and there’s no sign of—

“Tell me you did not abandon Adena somewhere.”

“Um, she’s ah, she’s doing just fine without us,” Sutton says, patting Kat’s shoulder and Jane bites back a laugh. They’re both looking past Kat’s head to the left and Kat turns to see what they’re—

“Is that…?”

“Your girlfriend casually chatting it up with Aaron Vanderbilt? Yes,” Jane finishes.

“He’s…he’s the wealthiest donor here tonight,” Kat whisper shouts.

“And she’s so relaxed,” Sutton says, watching Adena talk and laugh, confident as ever in her flowing gold dress.

“God, that’s hot,” Kat says, under her breath.


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat being the one who takes Adena to the carnival and tries to win her gf a prize

“I cannot believe you cheated a game for this.”

Kat’s hand is linked in hers, bright colorful lights blinking against the night sky, when she turns.

“Um, excuse me, I did  _not_  cheat. I figured out how the game was rigged and exploited it to my advantage. That’s not cheating, that’s  _winning_.” Kat is grinning, eyes alight, and Adena finds it impossible to keep up her indignation. “Alright, now for the most important question…bear or elephant?”

Adena looks at the ridiculously large stuffed animals hanging behind the counter and the bored man waiting for them to decide. She finally just shakes her head, resigned at Kat’s determination. “Elephant, of course.”

The worker hefts the soft gigantic thing over to her, and Adena passes it off to her girlfriend. “Kat, you are mistaken if you think I’m carrying this all the way home.”

“I’ve got it,” Kat assures, and they step away from the booth.

“Dare I ask how you are with board games?”

Kat looks guilty, the head of the stuffed elephant lolling between them. “Sutton and Jane banned me from Monopoly.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Adena say goodbye

There are two tickets wedged into the pages of her passport, and Adena’s head is on her shoulder. The first, their connecting flight through Munich. The second, her ticket to get her from Munich to Tehran.

Adena is quiet, painfully so, and Kat can feel it coming, even in the silence. Can feel it in the way the air hangs so heavy around them. She knows what Adena is about to say and she silently begs her not to.

_Don’t do this. Not now. Not at boarding time._

“Kat…you can’t come to Tehran with me.”

That.

Adena is not allowed to say,  _that_.

Panic rises in her throat, tears stinging at her eyes. She can’t lose her, not now, after everything they’ve shared. Not when the sun is just starting to break over the horizon and they’ve barely had a chance to explore all that they could be together.

“Wh- _What?_  No, no don’t say that. I’m coming with you,” her voice shakes, more panic than anger, and Adena lifts her head.

Soft brown eyes meet hers, filled with her own unshed tears. She reaches up and holds Kat’s face with the palm of her hand, tender and fragile.

“I  _will_  come back to you. I know an excellent immigration lawyer back home. He will help me get my documentation sorted, and I will come back.” Kat squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head, and the tears leak down anyway. “You know in your heart, we both do, that you belong here.”

Kat blinks her eyes open, meets Adena’s with a fire that bursts through the sadness. “I belong with  _you_.”

“And you are,” Adena whispers, lifting Kat’s hand to her chest, splaying her fingers over the place where her heart is thumping in her chest. “Kat, you’re right here.”

“Don’t make me say goodbye to you.”

Adena is surrounding her then, grip soft and sure, and Kat crumples, burying her head into her neck.

“ _Good morning,”_  the airport speaker system sounds. _“At this time we’ll begin boarding those holding first class and business class tickets for Lufthansa flight 1256 non-stop to Munich.”_


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Super competitive Kat with Sutton, Jane and Adena at game night where they play monopoly

Sutton is watching Kat do her dice roll dance, the one she does when she really wants a certain number. Adena’s head is tilted up from her spot next to her, shaking her head and laughing at her antics.

The dice clatter to the board and they all lean in to see the numbers. Jane groans at the same time as her, while Kat’s resounding “Ayyyy!” is followed by a ridiculous dab before she sits back down.

Kat rolled an eleven, which means she’s going to get to the space that Adena needs before Adena does and—

“We tried to warn you,” Jane sighs, while Kat happily moves her piece to Pennsylvania Avenue. Kat starts gathering the money she needs to buy the property that Adena was eyeing.

“Sorry babe.”

Kat’s not sorry at all, face smug while Adena narrows her eyes at her. Kat starts handing her money over to Jane, their designated banker, and Adena leans into Kat.

She puts her hand against Kat’s ear, shielding her lips from the two of them and whispering something. Kat’s cheeks flare pink and her mouth hangs open for a second before clamping shut, and there’s a glint in Adena’s eye when she pulls away to settle back into her spot.

Kat clears her throat. “Y’know, on second thought, I’m gonna pass on this one,” she says, putting her money back down.

“Alright!” Jane jumps, pointing her finger at Adena. “You,  _both_  of you, no sexual bribery.”

Adena bites her lip, guilty, but also—“You never said that was a rule.”

Her accent is laced with competitive humor, and Sutton groans again.

Jane looks to Sutton when she says, exasperated, “They deserve each other, honestly.”

“I hate monopoly.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat making her relationship Facebook official

They’ve had a name for what they are now—official, girlfriends—for about a week when Kat brings up social media.

Here’s the thing—she knows that Adena really values her privacy. So much so that she has a public figure page for herself as an artist, and then she has a personal page with the highest privacy settings possible. And it’s not just about privacy. It’s also about safety. She keeps her Facebook account on lock for a reason.

So Kat has an idea, and she shows the draft of the post to Adena while they’re cuddled up together on the sofa.

“How would you feel about me posting this?” Kat asks, running her fingers through Adena’s hair and passing her phone over for her to see.

Adena stares for a few seconds before answering. “This is lovely.”

“Yeah?” Kat hedges, soft.

Adena presses a kiss into her collarbone, nodding. “Go ahead and post it.”

So she does. She posts it. And less than two minutes later she gets a message from Jane in their group text.

It’s several lines of exclamation points and a screenshot of her post. The one that says “in a relationship” but doesn’t tag anyone, that has just one photo accompanying it. A beautiful filtered photo, one that Adena took, of their hands. Their two feminine hands, fingers laced together, with Adena’s red nails and Kat’s stylized black ones


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I want you." (NSFW)

“Are you sure?” Adena rasps.

Kat’s shirt is on the floor and she’s staring after Adena’s lips while tugging at her sweater.

“So sure.”

Kat’s eyes are lidded and she pulls Adena’s sweater off, dipping down to suck at her neck near her ear. Adena’s eyes roll shut, heat sparking in her body, and she grips at Kat’s back to stay balanced, standing.

“I want you,” Kat says, breath hot and teeth grazing her earlobe.

Adena believes her. Kat’s hands are gripping at her hips, all focused energy and passion as she kisses down Adena’s neck, and Adena believes her.

Adena pulls back with a gasp, steadying, slowing them, and turns in Kat’s arms.

She presents her back, bare but for the ivory bra she’s still wearing, and Kat understands. Adena feels Kat’s fingers against her skin by the clasp, unhooking and pushing the straps from her, and she lets her bra fall to the floor in front of her.

Adena is patient, waits to see what Kat will do, still standing behind her. She hears the brief rustle of movement and then Kat is turning her, pulling their bodies together.

It happens so fast, Kat’s lips claiming hers, that it takes her a second to realize Kat also removed her own bra. Adena groans into her mouth, reveling in the warmth and softness of Kat’s body.

“ _Slow_ ,” Adena murmurs into her mouth, almost begging, and Kat breathes deep.

“Ok,” she whispers, rubbing at Adena’s hips and suddenly looking far more vulnerable. “Ok, slow.”


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat gets jealous of a girl trying to talk to Adena

The air is starting to shift, signaling the end of summer, but the sun is still shining at the Chelsea flea market. Adena has her camera slung around her neck and they wander from stall to stall, taking in the diversity of crafts and wares.

“Essential oils,” the woman behind the table says to Adena, when she picks up the tester bottle. “That one is mugwort. Very powerful plant. It stimulates dreams, helps us to remember them.”

The woman is beautiful, long hair pulled back on top of her head and green eyes smiling.

Adena smiles back and nods. “I’ve tried it as a tea before.”

“Oh? How was that?”

Kat watches the ease of the exchange from the side, watches as the woman completely ignores her and focuses on Adena, leaning forward and keeping intense eye contact while they talk.

It’s stupid and petty and unnecessary but she can’t stop herself when she rests her hand on the small of Adena’s back and says, “You should get some to try, babe,” and then makes eye contact with the woman.

Adena gives Kat a silent look, and Kat hates the knowing smile on her face. She doesn’t say anything after Adena makes her purchase, and they pass by three more stalls before Adena says, “I thought you said you weren’t a jealous type.”

It’s teasing, not angry, and Kat pushes her hands into her pockets.

“I, um, I didn’t think that I was. Turns out I was wrong.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena finally makes it back to the US and Kat takes her on the date they were supposed to have

It takes two months for Adena and her lawyer to work out her visa issues with U.S. customs and immigration. It takes two months for Adena to come back to her.

But this time, when Adena arrives at JFK Airport, she is allowed to exit. Adena is not crying tears of sadness when she is swept up in Kat’s arms.

There is only joy. And flowers that Kat has brought. And Kat wiping her own happy tears and finally pulling back and saying, “Can I take you out to dinner in the city?”  

That night, they sit in a restaurant on the 34th floor of the Silver Lion Hotel, candlelit table nestled against windows with panoramic views of the city.  Kat orders herself a glass of the most expensive champagne on the menu and Adena orders the most decadent dessert.

Kat raises her glass, smiling wide, and rests her other hand over Adena’s on the table. “Welcome back.”

Adena lifts her fork, laden with chocolate and caramel, and smiles. Her eyes are sparkling, intimate, when she answers, “As promised.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat comes out to Jane and Sutton

They’re all sitting together on Jane and Sutton’s sofa, pint of cookie dough ice cream being passed around between them and bottle of red wine sitting on the coffee table. The tv is playing in the background and they watch in between catching up with each other.

Kat is holding the ice cream, focused on the motion of her spoon and trying to isolate a chunk of cookie dough when she says, “So I’ve decided I’m bi.”

Sutton sits up, more alert, and Jane grabs the remote to mute the tv.

“I’m definitely attracted to men more often,” she continues, still staring down at the pint. “But every so often I see girls, y’know, besides Adena, and I’m like—yes. I’m into that. And not just because I want their wardrobe.”

Sutton circles her arm around Kat’s shoulder and Jane leans over to rub at her knee affectionately.

“So you’re bi,” Sutton says, smiling and rubbing her shoulder. “That’s awesome, Kat.”

“You know we love you no matter what,” Jane adds. “But I’m happy for you that you found a word that feels good for you.”

Sutton nods in agreement and Kat finally looks up at them. “I love you. Both of you.”

“Hey, does this mean I get to keep calling out people at  _Scarlet_ who call you gay now?” Sutton asks. “’Cause that’s fun.”

Jane laughs and—“Oh, same.”

Kat hands off the ice cream and trades for the wine bottle. “Um, yes, definitely keep doing that.”

“I’m really happy for you, that you’re bi,” Sutton says. “But you should know I had my  _She’s not gay, she’s just with Adena stop labeling her_  speech down to like 15 seconds.”

“I know, I overheard you the other day, telling off Brittany,” Kat grins and bumps their shoulders together. “I was so proud.”


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat inviting Adena to a work event for the first time as her gf + Jacqueline being proud seeing Kat in a happy relationship

“Jacqueline, hi. I, um, I want to introduce you to someone,” Kat says.

Adena is standing to her right, wearing a black blazer and deep purple hijab and looking far more relaxed than Kat feels.

“The photographer.” Jacqueline’s response is warm and friendly. “Ms. El-Amin. I remember. So nice to have you visiting with us again.”

Adena smiles and looks between Jacqueline and Kat. “Thank you for having me. This event is lovely.”

Kat steels herself and continues. “Yes, this is, um, this Adena El-Amin. Amazing photographer, and ah, my girlfriend.”

The surprise on Jacqueline’s face is fleeting, almost imperceptible, before she smiles a rare wide smile.

“Ah. Well then, welcome to the Scarlet family, Adena. Kat is a very lucky woman.”

Adena leans into Kat’s side, circling her arm around Kat’s back, and Kat smiles down at her.

“Yeah, I am.”

Jacqueline looks between them, as if she is about to add something, but then she looks away towards the entrance.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ve just spotted someone I need to speak with.”

Adena turns toward a waiter to set down her empty glass, and Jacqueline places her hand on Kat’s shoulder leaning toward her ear before she walks away.

“I’m happy for you, Kat. Truly.”

“Everything ok?” Adena asks, turning back to where Kat is smiling to herself.

Kat wraps her in a light side hug, waving over at where Jane and Sutton are motioning to her. “Everything is great.”


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat teasing Adena at the fitting room (NSFW)

“What do you think?” Adena says, voice low so the fitting room attendant won’t overhear them.

Every so often, Kat loves when they pass as straight. Like when they want to share fitting rooms.

Kat looks at the burgundy red lace of the bra Adena is currently trying on, the way it molds to her body and reveals just the right amount of skin.

“I think that I really love lingerie shopping,” Kat answers with a smirk, looking her up and down. “God, you’re so hot.”

“The bra, Kat,” Adena huffs. “What do you think of the bra?”

Kat steps forward, running her hands along Adena’s bare hips and leaning down to speak low against her ear.

“I think you look really good in red.” Kat kisses the spot just below her ear, flicks her tongue there just because she can. “But I also think you already know that, and you’re just trying to drive me crazy in here.”

Adena runs her nails along the back of Kat’s head, where her hair is pulled up, and laughs quietly before whispering—

“ _Is it working?”_


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Daddy”

When Adena suggests that they go shopping together that afternoon, Kat doesn’t expect to end up on Fifth Avenue.

Yet here they are, street bustling around them as they pass by various storefronts. Adena links hands with her, pulling her into Salvatore Ferragamo because, “their floral scarf collection this season is gorgeous.”

Adena moves through the store with the kind of confidence and ease that only comes from growing up wealthy, and Kat stares after her.

She’s right though, the scarves are stunning, and Adena evaluates the two different sizes to figure out what will work best to wrap her hair.

“What do you think, Kat?” she asks, pointing between two different color options.

Kat tilts her head, surveying them both. “They’re both beautiful,” she decides. “But if I had to pick? The lighter pink orchid one.”

Adena nods at the salesman and he adds it to the one Adena already picked out earlier. Kat’s eyes widen when she realizes they aren’t window shopping, that Adena is casually handing over her card to buy the two scarves right now.

The salesman steps away to ring up her purchases and bag the scarves, and Kat looks her up and down, smiling in disbelief.

“ _Okay_ , daddy.”

A laugh bursts out of Adena and she shakes her head, rolling her eyes. Kat folds her arms across her chest, still grinning when the salesman returns.

“Thank you. Have a lovely day, both of you.”


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat keeps tweeting about love, relationship and angsty stuff ambiguously but she was surprised to see Adena replying to one of those tweets

Kat stares at the photo for several minutes when it shows up on her feed. She can’t look away, absorbing the words over and over again.

_i am trying to remember you_

_and_

_let you go_

_at_

_the same time._

_\- the mourn_

It’s simple typewriter font on an off-white parchment background, and all she sees is Adena. Because Adena is in Paris, and Adena is with Coco, and Adena is the most frequent contact in her iPhone.

She eventually retweets the picture to her personal twitter and keeps scrolling, doesn’t think much of it.

Until she’s on her lunch break three hours later, back on twitter, and she sees the like on the photo from @ElAminPhotography and freezes. The account is more for promotion of Adena’s contact info than anything else, and the feed is sparse. It looks like the tweets have been generated more by her agent than Adena herself.

But she liked the photo. Even though Adena isn’t following her on twitter.

Kat is social media savvy enough to know exactly what that means. The like was probably accidental. And–

 Adena has been looking at her feed.

They facetime that night. Kat doesn’t bring up the photo, and neither does Adena.

Or, at least, that’s what she thought.

But they are talking about authors and poetry and afterwards, when the call has ended, Kat googles a name that Adena casually shared, a name she that didn’t recognize. Nayyirah Waheed.

The styles of her poems are all the same, and they match the photo from earlier.

She realizes, then, that there was a conversation happening within their conversation, a subtle one that she missed entirely. 


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Sutton: "i can't believe you had sex in an airport" *high five*

Kat is sandwiched between Jane and Sutton on their sofa, bundled up in sweats and the arms of her best friends who’ve been holding her.

She cries, for a long time, before she says anything. Because she wasn’t ready to be that kind of brave, and now Adena is gone. Last time she could bear it, when Adena chose Paris and she was left with maybes and lost possibilities.

But this time? This time she has Adena’s smile etched behind her eyelids and her touch burned into her skin and the vulnerable parts of herself cracked open and wanting.

It’s far too much to bear and even more impossible to explain with words, so she sniffles again, wipes at her wet cheeks and lets out a choked laugh, admitting—

“We had sex at the airport.”

She laughs about it to keep from crying, and Jane and Sutton take mercy on her, letting her deflect.

“Shut up, you did  _not_ ,” Jane says, disbelieving. “Did you?”

Kat takes a deep breath, smiles for the first time since she got to their apartment. “In the Air Nazar first class lounge at like 3 AM.”

“That’s so romantic,” Sutton sighs.

“Romantic?” Jane interjects, shrill. “What if someone had walked in on you?”

“It was late, and also,  _so_  not a priority,” Kat says, leveling Jane with a look while meeting Sutton’s hand in the air for a high five.

“I can’t believe you had sex at an  _airport_.”

“Was she good?” Sutton asks, smirking and getting right to the important stuff.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat describing her first time with Adena to Jane and Sutton, but all blushing and smiley and shy about it

They’re at Moe’s Diner on 52nd and Sutton is dousing her pancakes in syrup when she looks across the booth, levels Kat with a look—

“Ok, spill.”

Kat stabs at a piece of French toast with her fork and tries to hide the blush now dusting her cheeks. “It was, um, it was really good.”

“Nuh-uh. We did not come to Moe’s for ‘ _really good’_ , we came here for details.”

Jane watches her, thoughtful, and it unnerves her.

“I can’t believe you’re actually being shy. You’re never shy.”

Kat glares, then—

“I’m getting my nails done differently this afternoon.”

“Sorry, you’re not allowed to change the topic. Nice try,” Sutton says, cutting into her pancakes.

“I’m not.”

She waits for several seconds, amused, until the realization dawns on their faces.

Then they’re all laughing while Jane chokes on a sip of her coffee, and the staring faces at the tables around them only make it worse.

There are tears of laughter in Kat’s eyes and she’s finally catching her breath when says, “Ok, but seriously? Best head of my _life_ ,” and Sutton raises her glass of orange juice in salute.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena actually does start a new project starring Kat and Kat's reaction when Adena shows her the proofs

Kat is sitting cross-legged in bed, comfortable in a soft gray t-shirt and cotton panties while she sips at her coffee, when Adena walks back over to the bed with her own mug.

Kat sets down her drink and reaches her hand out for Adena, pulling her toward the warmth and comfort of the duvet.

“Wait,” she says, smiling when Kat pouts and tugs at her shirt. “Can I get my camera and take your picture?”

“Right now?”

She looks down at herself and then gives Adena a look, knowing her curls are all over the place and her face is still free of make-up.

“Please.”

Adena looks so happy and excited that it’s impossible to say no.

She’s on the other side of the room, getting her camera, when Kat says, “These better be just for you.”

“I promise.”

—-

“Can I show you something?”

Adena is nervously holding her laptop and Kat frowns, patting the spot on the sofa next to her. “Of course. Everything okay?”

“Yes. I, ah, I may have found some inspiration for a new photo series.”

Kat’s eyes light up, suddenly excited. “Are you gonna show me?”

Adena stares for several seconds, biting at her lip, and then sits down, handing over her laptop without a word.

There are three images in black and white, lined up together on the screen, and her breath catches.

“ _Adena_ …”

“I know. I know I promised they were just for me. And they can be. I don’t have to share them with anyone.”

All three of the pictures are of Kat, from that morning in bed a few days ago. In the first picture, her face is relaxed, eyes smiling and legs crossed in front of her on the bed. In the next, her head is tipped back, laughing, from when Adena had made a joke and distracted her. In the last, she is laying down, hair splayed out on the bed around her face while she looks into the camera with quiet intensity.

She knows exactly the moment that Adena took this one. She’d kneeled over her, knees on either side of her hips, and Kat had forgotten the camera entirely, too focused on the passion and affection in Adena’s eyes.

“These are…these are so beautiful.”

She doesn’t know that she’s ever seen Adena look this vulnerable, giving Kat a soft smile and saying, “You like them?”

Kat holds her face, brushing a few stray hairs behind her ear. “I  _love_  them. Thank you for sharing them with me.”

Adena smiles, full and genuine, and Kat kisses her, just because she can, laptop trapped between them.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Adena reuniting in the Peru airport

She lands in Lima first, and it’s nothing like she expects as their plane approaches the tarmac. It’s all brown sand and harsh lines ending at the coast of the ocean.

They stamp her passport and then she’s waiting for her connecting flight to Cusco, where Adena is meeting her.

There are butterflies fluttering in her stomach for the entire hour and a half flight, knowing how close she is to seeing Adena.

It’s not exactly what she’d planned, but as soon as she de-boards the plane, she’s running.

She’s running past the other gates and toward the security checkpoint. She’s running until she sees Adena, standing quiet and unassuming, waiting for her.

Adena right there, in simple comfortable clothes and a deep green hijab, backpack slung over her shoulder. Her entire face lights up when she spots Kat, and suddenly there are tears in Kat’s eyes, unrestrained and bursting with affection as she takes in the sight of her.

She pulls Adena into a hug that lifts her off the ground, and there are arms around her shoulders and that beautiful warm voice in her ear, saying her name, saying, “I can’t believe you’re here.”

She’s thousands of miles away from New York, but Adena’s lips are meeting hers and her hands are holding Kat’s face and it feels like coming home.

“I can’t believe I’m here either,” she says, wiping at her eyes.

“11,000 feet above sea level,” Adena answers, pulling them toward baggage claim. “You’ll need to adjust for a couple of days before you can hike.”

“You gonna keep me company while I do?” Kat teases, linking their fingers together.

“I suppose.”


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kadena in Peru

It takes them four days to hike the Inca Trail.

Kat’s not sure how she does it, to be honest. She is absolutely not fit enough to be hiking this mountain. But every morning they wake up in their tent, Adena tangled up next to her, and she thinks maybe she could climb mountains forever if it means she gets to keep holding Adena in the quiet of the night and waking to her sleepy smile.

They make it to Machu Picchu on the fourth day.

Their once humble trail widens out to the road of the bus route, the one that stops at the entrance to the archaeological site.

It’s a foggy afternoon, and Kat’s breath catches when she sees the ruins for the first time, rounding the corner of the pathway.

“How is this real?” she says, staring in quiet wonder.

They stop together, letting other tourists pass while they take in the beauty around them. Adena leans into her side and Kat holds her, kissing the top of her head where it’s covered.  

Adena is quiet, gazing out at the mountaintops for several long seconds before she speaks.

“I am so happy I get to share this with you.”

Kat hums in agreement and kisses her head again, smiling.

They spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the site, walking along the maze of pathways together.

That evening, when they make it back to a café, Kat turns on her phone and sends off a quick photo message while she has wifi available. Adena is drinking tea, eyes tired but happy as she watches Kat.

It’s the third picture that a kind visitor had taken for them, when they thought he was done taking their picture. Because they aren’t smiling at the camera.

They’re smiling at each other, panoramic scenery of Machu Picchu on display behind them.

Sutton is the first to respond, with an—

_OMG!!!! WHAT EVEN IS YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW_

Quickly followed by—

_THIS IS SO CUTE AND ROMANTIC I’M DYING AND ALSO JEALOUS_

Jane chimes in a minute later with several heart emojis and a—

_SO amazing! Tell Adena we said hi!!_

Adena catches her smiling and Kat looks up, setting her phone down.

“Shall we get a hotel tonight?”

Kat moans, thinking of a soft bed and a hot shower.

“ _Yes._ ”


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kadena has the DTR talk

Kat returns to the U.S. before Adena does. Her vacation time is up and Adena is still waiting on a new work visa.

It’s their last night together before she has to leave, and they’re curled up together in the bed of their hotel room when Kat breaks the silence.

“I don’t know how to say this…I, um…” Adena turns until their eyes meet, heads sharing a pillow.

“Kat…”

“No, let me…I need to get this out.” She draws in a sharp breath. “I don’t want to put labels on this…on what we are right now, when everything is still complicated and we’re apart.” She takes another, slower breath, continues, “But we… Adena, you know there’s no one else anymore, right? For me, I mean. Even when I get home,” she says, hoping Adena understands.

Adena’s eyes are so close, so full of tenderness, when she smiles and reaches out to touch Kat’s face. “There’s no one else for me either,” she answers, soothing. “You know that Coco and I are over.”

“So, no other international lovers I should know about?” Kat jokes.

Or, at least, she tries. But her voice wavers a little bit, betraying her, and Adena isn’t laughing. She’s combing her fingers through Kat’s hair and shaking her head, once, into the pillow.

“No, Kat. There’s no one else.”

Adena’s eyes are shining with unspoken emotion and Kat swallows, blinks down for a second before meeting her gaze again.

“I have something for you. I’d thought to give it to you tomorrow morning, but…” Adena trails off, getting up from the bed and reaching over for her bag.

She digs through her belongings for several moments before removing a small wrapped item and climbing back into bed.

Adena hands it over and Kat holds the wrapped item, curious, before peeling back and unfolding the brown paper. When she does, a jewelry chain unravels, slipping out, and she lifts the rest from the wrapping.

“Pink opal,” Adena explains, while Kat stares at the beautifully cut gem pendant hanging from the chain. “It’s native to this area.”

“When did you…”

They’ve been nearly inseparable this whole trip, and yet somehow Adena managed to buy—

“Before you ever got here,” Adena says, and Kat freezes. “I couldn’t decide whether to mail it to you or wait and give it to you in person.  _But_ , then you came here instead.”

She shakes her head, at a loss for words, and Adena gently takes the chain from her, unclasping it and reaching up to link it around Kat’s neck.

The metal settles, cool against her skin, and Kat reaches for her, pulling her in for a slow kiss.

“There’s no one else,” Adena repeats, whispering into her lips, and Kat smiles. 


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jane and Sutton finally meet Adena for the first time officially as Kat's girlfriend

Kat decides to plan a brunch date. Something about it feels less formal than dinner.

So, five days after Adena finally re-enters the U.S., or, three days after they make their relationship official, she plans a brunch date for her girlfriend to finally meet her best friends.

It’s fine. She’s totally fine.

“Kat, are you okay?” Adena asks quietly, concerned, when the hostess greets them.

She’s not fine.

And she doesn’t really know why. This shouldn’t be a big deal. She’s having brunch with her three favorite people. But—

“I just realized I’m kind of nervous all of a sudden,” she admits, and Adena pulls them to the side before the hostess can seat them.

Adena smiles, patient and holding her hand, but then—“I thought we both knew you were nervous? Or was it only me that noticed?”

Kat gives her a look and Adena keeps smiling, pulls her into a hug.

“I think I’m just, like, protective of what we have? And I don’t want this to mess it up. Is that weird?” Kat pulls back, meets her eyes and then shrugs away. “It’s weird.”

“I don’t think it’s weird. But I do think that everything is going to be okay. I’m excited to meet them,” Adena assures.

“You’re not nervous?”

Adena guides them back over to the hostess and follows as she leads them to a booth in the back.

“Oh, I am definitely a little nervous.”

Her eyes widen in surprise, because it’s the first time Adena has admitted it, and she’s about to respond but her words are cut off when she sees Jane and Sutton approaching the booth, right as they sit down.

Sutton slides in across from them first, followed by Jane.

Kat clears her throat, looks at Adena and then at the two of them for several long seconds. “Morning.”

“Stop being weird,” Sutton says, and Adena smiles, leaning into her side and holding her hand. “Also, I win, you owe me a mimosa,” she adds to Jane.

“You  _bet_  on me?” Kat whines and Sutton grins while Jane looks between them.

“If it’s any consolation, I was rooting for you,” Jane says, glancing down at the menu.

“And what was the bet?” Adena asks, in lieu of formally introducing herself.

“That Kat would look nervous.”

She feels her face heat up, embarrassed, and looks down to her lap. “I hate you right now.”

“I think they got rid of those banana pecan pancakes, I don’t see them anymore.”

“No! Did they really? Those were my  _favorite_ ,” Sutton sighs.

“They’re disgusting is what they were,” Kat says, a reflex, and Jane smiles.

Sutton narrows her eyes at her and then turns to Adena. “How do you feel about banana pecan pancakes?”

“I’ve never tried them,” she answers, trying to keep up with their antics and remain neutral.

Kat relaxes into the booth, reaches to take a sip of her water.

“Fair enough,” Jane chimes in. “How do you feel about Kat?” She says it while she’s mid sip and Kat chokes, coughing.

She knows that Jane is messing with her, that her friends are being terrible and teasing both of them until they lighten up, and she’s about to tell Adena as much when—

“I care about her very much. And I feel… _so_  lucky and blessed to be with her. Especially after everything that kept us apart.”

The whole table falls quiet for a moment and her face is heating up again, for different reasons.

“ _God_ , no wonder you fell for her, is she always like this?” Sutton interjects, and Kat looks to Adena, sharing a quiet smile.

“Pretty much,” she admits, still smiling at her girlfriend instead of looking at Sutton. Adena is now the one blushing, until their waiter approaches and she clears her throat, looking away.

“Good morning, ladies. Can I start you all off with something to drink?”


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat asks Jacqueline for the time off to go to Peru

“Kat. How can I help you?”

Jacqueline clicks out of something on her computer and looks up at her, expectant.

“Hi. Ok, so, um…you know how you’ve asked me a couple times in the past month how I’m doing and I didn’t really give you an answer?”

Jacqueline arches her eyebrow in acknowledgment, encouraging her to continue.

“And remember two months ago, at our last directors meeting, when you told me I need to start scheduling time off and use my vacation time?”

She nods, pursing her lips. “ _Yes_ …You’re losing me, Kat. Your point?”

“Ok, do you remember the feature we did, on that lesbian Muslim photographer?” Jacqueline stares. “Wow, this is way complicated to explain, um…”

“Kat!”

“Right. Ok, so we met, the photographer and I, Adena, and I kinda fell for her, and we’ve had this thing? I might be a little bi but I’m not worrying about that right now,” Kat rambles. “What matters is she tried to come here but then she got detained and we had like ten hours together before she got deported and now she’s in Peru and I can’t concentrate at work.”

“ _Kat._ ”

“I need to take some time off. To go to Peru for a few days. Preferably as soon as possible.”

Jacqueline stares for several seconds, blinks. “You need to go to Peru.”

“Yes. Because our twitter account reached two million followers and I don’t even care because I’m too distracted, and that’s a problem. And because I’m not okay, I haven’t been for a few weeks now. But I think I could be.”

“If you went to Peru.”

“If I went to Peru.”

Jacqueline is quiet for several seconds, contemplating, before she speaks.

“You’ll schedule timed tweets and Instagram posts in your absence? Get coverage for the Saturday event?” Jacqueline asks, and Kat grins, bounces on her feet.

“Absolutely. I’ve already got a plan.”

“Alright then. Make sure your PTO request gets filed with HR, I’ll email them that you have my approval.”

“Thank you, Jacqueline. Thank you thank you thank you,” she rushes, starts walking toward the door.

“And Kat?”

“Yeah?”

Jacqueline smiles at her.

“Safe travels.”


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kadena being cute with each other and Sutton/Jane calling them goals

The next time Adena has a gallery opening in New York City, Kat isn’t pining after her on the sidelines. She isn’t nervously trying to figure out how to approach her, waiting for Jane to give her the push she needs.

She’s there to support her girlfriend, jumping in and out of small talk conversations with the attendees.

Then Kat is standing in the middle of the room, admiring the pieces again on her own as the crowd slowly thins out, and smiles when Adena approaches and sinks into her arms.

Jane tries not to stare, she does, but she and Sutton share a look and then they’re both watching them. They’re watching the ease of their movements, the way that Kat only has eyes for Adena, smiling and talking together in the middle of the gallery.

The last guests finally exit, leaving only the four of them, and Kat holds Adena at her lower back, lifts her off her toes and spins them around, once.

Adena laughs, head bowed into Kat’s hair and hands clutching at her shoulders, while Kat says something they can’t hear.

“You ever get jealous of them?” Jane asks, leaning into Sutton’s side.

Sutton reaches up, wraps her arm around her shoulders. “All the time. Who doesn’t? Those two are like, ultimate goals.”

Kat kisses Adena then, passionate, and Sutton clears her throat loudly, shouts, “Not the show we came here for!” and Jane snorts.

Kat holds out a hand, flips them off while she keeps kissing her girlfriend, and Adena is laughing into her mouth, eventually pulling back and looking over at them.

“Sorry,” Adena says, still smiling.

“I’m not.”

Adena rolls her eyes at Kat and then looks to them, sincere. “Thank you both for coming. I really appreciate your support.”


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena asking Sutton and Jane for advice and help about throwing a surprise party for Kat

“ _Can I talk to you both about Kat’s birthday?”_

They receive the text in a group message, while they’re at home eating dinner. Kat is still at Scarlet, working on a promotional campaign for the magazine.

Kat and Adena haven’t been official for that long, but Kat’s birthday is coming up in about a month.

Jane reads the message aloud to Sutton. “You cool if we call her now?”

Sutton nods through a mouthful of lo mein and Jane dials, puts Adena on speakerphone.

“ _Jane, hi. Is this a good time?_ ”

“Yeah! What’s up? What are you thinking about for Kat’s birthday?”

“ _What do you think about planning a surprise party? I’d like to, but I realized that I would not know who to invite, and thought you might be able to help me._ ”

Jane looks over to Sutton who’s smiling, contemplative. “Should we tell her?” Jane asks, to which Adena answers—

“ _Tell me what?_ ” and Sutton steps in.

“Ok we’re gonna let you in on a secret about your girlfriend.”

“ _Oh-kayy…_ ” Adena answers, hesitant but curious.

“She has tons of facebook friends. And absolutely enough acquaintances to fill up a surprise party…” Sutton pauses, thinks through how to explain it best to Adena.

“ _But?”_  Adena asks, sensing her reluctance.

“You’re currently on the phone with all of Kat’s close friends,” Jane finishes, and the line is quiet for a moment.

“ _So you’re saying…”_

“Kat’s not nearly the socialite that you might think she is. Last year we celebrated her birthday just the three of us.”

“ _Ah, okay. Well… I’m glad I asked you both.”_ Then—“ _I just want to do something that makes her birthday feel special.”_

Sutton makes a little pout face, mouths, “ _she’s so sweet_ ” at Jane.

“What if we plan something for her together? Just for the four of us?” Jane suggests. “We could think of some ideas and touch base in a couple days.”

“ _I like that idea. Yes, let’s do that.”_

“Ok, we’ll talk soon,” Jane answers, smiling.

“Oh, and Adena,” Sutton cuts in, leaning toward the microphone before Adena hangs up, “Don’t overthink it. Kat lov-“ Jane’s eyes widen, panicked.  “…Kat will love whatever you come up with, I’m sure.”

“ _Thank you. I will t_ _alk to you both soon.”_

They each say goodnight and then Jane is hanging up the phone while Sutton stares down at her Chinese food, guilty.

“Kat would’ve killed you. Like,  _actually_  murdered you, I think.”

“Hey!” Sutton says, defensive. “It’s not my fault she still hasn’t told Adena she loves her. She told us like two weeks ago! What’s taking her so long?”

Jane doesn’t say anything, just gives her a look.

“Right, it’s Kat. Nevermind, point taken.”


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat's been posting pictures of Adena on insta with cute caps and couple pics etc, and they're starting to get a little internet famous

It’s 11 AM when her phone starts blowing up with notifications, all from Instagram. And all for one picture.

The picture is from a couple days ago, when Adena finally came over to her place after 12 hours at the studio. She’d immediately laid down on the sofa with Kat, not even bothering to change into more comfortable clothes.

The picture is a simple one of their faces together, from the shoulder up. Adena is still in her hijab, snuggled into her neck and eyes closed while Kat looks at the camera. She’d captioned it “ _when bae finally gets home from the studio_ ” plus a series of emojis, and then got Adena’s sleepy approval before posting.

No big deal.

Except now the picture is flooded with comments and there’s over 2,000 likes, a number that continues to climb.

It’s like a domino effect after that. Notifications begin pouring in from all sorts of photos of the two of them on her Instagram, until she finally gives up and turns off the alerts.

Then she starts reading the comments, and she’s still absorbed in all the heart emojis and the #goals and the comments about how cute they are when Sutton steps up behind her.

“Everything okay?” she hears, and Kat looks up, startled. “Kat?”

“I don’t know what to do,” she says, shoving her phone in Sutton’s face for her to see. “It just keeps coming.”

“What the…”

“I think lesbian instagram found us.”

“You’re insta-famous. Wow,” Sutton grins, scrolling through the comments. “Don’t forget us little people.”

Kat shoves at her and takes her phone back.

“I can’t believe this. My entire  _career_  is about social media promotion. And the most successful I’ve ever been at it is for being cute with my girlfriend.  _Seriously?_ ”

“The internet, man. Hey, what if you end up on Buzzfeed?”

Kat groans, folds her arms across her desk and drops her head.

“I have to tell Adena.”


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena is on a business trip for a month, Kat is a mess without her (NSFW)

Adena gets an amazing freelance opportunity in Los Angeles. And Kat is so happy for her, is so damn proud of her kick-ass photographer girlfriend.

But it’s been two weeks since Adena left New York and it’ll be another ten days before she gets back, and she fucking misses her, ok?

She never realized what a tactile person she was until she started seeing Adena, never realized how much she communicates with touches and hugs and kisses until she’s not able to give them.

It’s 10:30 PM here, 8:30 in L.A., and she’s watching Netflix in bed when Adena facetimes her. She shuts her laptop, pushes it aside and stretches her legs out.

“Kat,” Adena greets her with a smile.

“Hey babe.” Then—“Wait, what are you wearing?”

Adena’s hair is still shower damp, and Kat can see her wearing what looks like a hotel robe, fluffy and white.

Adena holds her phone out so that Kat can see her better, can see her body wrapped in the robe, deep v exposing the skin of her chest.

“This is  _so_  not fair,” Kat groans and Adena gives a coy little laugh.

“I was thinking about you,” Adena says, voice low, and Kat’s eyebrow arches. “While I was in the shower.”

 _Oh._  So  _that’s_  what kind of call this is going to be.

“Oh really?” she hums, smirking. “Do tell.”

“Do you remember that time, when we tried in the shower, before we got frustrated, and—”

“gave up and got in bed without really drying off?  _Yes_ ,” Kat finishes, knowing exactly what Adena is referring to. “You were  _so_ …” she trails off, trying to find the right word, and Adena bites her lip.

“That’s what I was thinking about,” she admits, and Kat swallows.

They share in the silence together, eyes on each other through their screens, and Kat hasn’t hated distance this much since Adena was having visa issues.  

“Why are you in L.A.?” Kat whines, and Adena smiles.

“I miss you too.”

Kat smiles back, settling into her pillow, then gives her a look.  

“You miss me enough to take that robe off?”


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kadena and cardio

The muscles in her arm are starting to burn from holding herself up for too long. And honestly? If there were ever a motivation for her to start strength training it would be for this—

Adena, underneath her, eyes shut and making the  _hottest_  sounds while she grips at Kat’s arm, then her neck, lost in pleasure.

She moans something in Farsi, something Kat doesn’t understand, and clenches at her fingers, then, “ _Don’t stop,”_  low and clear in English.

Her arm, the one she’s using to hold herself up, is going to give out any minute. But she keeps going. Of course she keeps going, because  _look_  at her.

Kat curves her fingers again and Adena cries out, starts trembling beneath her, and pulls Kat down. She groans in relief, lets the weight of her body press into Adena as she comes, relaxing her arm.

Adena kisses her, blissed out and sloppy and body still tensed, and Kat smiles into her mouth.

Several seconds pass and then warm brown eyes flutter open, staring up at her, and Kat kisses again, whispers, “ _you’re so sexy, it’s ridiculous_ ” and Adena laughs, still a little delirious from her orgasm.

Jane and Sutton can fuck right off with their runs in the park. Morning cardio in bed is  _so_  much better, thank you very much.


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena figuring out that scratching the nape of Kat's neck (like how she did during their first kiss) turns her into goo, and using it to her advantage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i know you probably meant this in a more cute teasing way, but then i had a thought–

The four of them are on the subway, during rush hour on a Friday and headed toward their dinner destination, when it happens. It’s crowded enough that they’re all standing, but not so crowded that Kat misses it.

She absolutely sees the look that the white dude with the briefcase is giving her identifiably Muslim girlfriend and her shoulders tense.

They’ve talked about this, she and Adena. Kat understands now that sometimes the things she wants to do in these moments are the very things that would most threaten Adena’s safety. Like asking this guy if he’s got a problem, when he clearly does.

Jane and Sutton can’t see him, but they see her posture, the look in her eyes, and Jane asks, “What’s wrong?” as their train screeches into the next station.

She’s about to mutter an explanation when Adena reaches for her, gently turns Kat’s head away from him and rests her palm against the nape of her neck. She scratches at the hair there, calming, and Kat breathes deep, closes her eyes for several long seconds.

“It’s nothing,” she hears Adena assure to her friends.

Then the doors slide open, thankfully at their stop, and they hurry off the train.

Adena strokes her face, just once, standing there on the platform with a silent  _“I’m okay, we’ll talk later,”_  and then adjusts her purse on her shoulder.

Sutton stares between all of them, breaks the awkward lull with, “Sooo, Thai food?” and Adena smiles, linking hands with Kat.

Kat relaxes, walks alongside her. “What’s this place called again?”


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate

They’re laying in bed together, morning sun filtering through the windows, when Adena reaches out, traces the curve of Kat’s wrist with her thumb on the pillow between them.

Adena’s eyes are on hers, warm and full of affection.

“Do you believe in soulmates?” she asks, curious, and Kat blinks.

She pauses before admitting—

“I don’t know.” Then, “Do you?”

“Sometimes.” Adena is quiet for a long moment. “I had a dream last night. It was unlike any dream I’ve ever had.”

“Really? About what?”

Kat drapes her arm across Adena’s waist, snuggles closer until their foreheads are nearly touching.

“About us,” Adena says, then closes her eyes, remembering. “It was us, but…in another time and place. We were us, but we were different people with different lives. It felt so real,” she finishes in a whisper, eyes fluttering open again. Kat stares back at her, sees the shy but adoring look on Adena’s face, and her heart constricts, thrumming beneath her ribs. “It was like…it was like I’d loved you in another life, and I was finally remembering. Is that crazy?”

She reaches up, runs her fingers through Adena’s hair and tucks a strand behind her ear.

“It’s not crazy,” Kat hums. “Crazy romantic, maybe,” she adds, just to make her smile. “But not crazy.”

Adena is quiet after that, contemplative, and Kat confesses, “I don’t know if I believe in soulmates. But, if they do exist, you’re definitely mine.”

She doesn’t know why she says it, or better yet  _how_  she manages to say it, but Adena smiles and rolls them until she’s laying on top of Kat. Adena doesn’t make her bear the weight of her own admission, lets them laugh instead, kiss each other.

“I was taller than you, in the dream.”

“Oh, you wish.”


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat gets hurt and Adena rushes to be by her side

Sutton tells Adena when they’re in the cab, pinches the bridge of her nose and tries to keep a calm voice when she says, “ _Kat’s been hurt. She’s in the hospital,_ ” and hears the confusion and then the panic in Adena’s voice.

Jane grips at her free hand while she tells Adena as best she can, that they don’t know much of anything, other than that a car hit her when she stepped into the crosswalk, that she was taken in an ambulance. That they’re on their way to the hospital now, and yes they’re taking her to Mount Sinai, and yes they’ll meet Adena in the E.R. waiting room.

Adena gets to the hospital almost forty-five minutes later than them, rushing over from Brooklyn, and Sutton spots her at the entrance. She waves her over and there are tears in Adena’s eyes, panicked, when she says, “ _Where is she?_ ”

“With the doctors,” Sutton explains, calm as she can, and Jane paces. “She’s not conscious. She hit her head and she was bleeding a lot, so they’re trying to get that under control and then they need to do a scan to see if there’s any internal damage. Her arm is also fractured pretty bad, but they’re focusing on her head injury.”

Adena squeezes her eyes shut, tears tracking down her cheeks, and Sutton doesn’t think twice before pulling her into a hug.

Adena is clutching at her back, desperate, and Sutton holds her tighter. “ _Breathe_ , Adena. Kat’s a fighter, she’s gonna get through this.”

They wait, together, receiving scraps of news here and there that do little to calm them, and Adena becomes more and more withdrawn. She is curled in on herself, knees drawn to her chest and face bowed, and Sutton feels helpless to comfort her.

Then, finally, there’s, “she’s lucky she shielded herself with her arm” and there’s, “the swelling in her brain is minimal, she doesn’t need surgery but she’s got a moderate concussion,” and “she’s asleep right now, sedated pretty heavily to help her heal, but you can see her.”

They all go in to see her, sit with her, but a couple hours later it’s Adena who says she’ll stay the night and only one of them is allowed, so they head home together.

She and Jane both share a bed that night, needing the comfort, and then they’re back at Mount Sinai as soon as visiting hours resume.

They’re all crammed into Kat’s room together, a little past 9 AM, and Adena is holding Kat’s good hand when she stirs, lashes fluttering.

Kat groans, and Sutton swears it’s the best sound she’s ever heard in her life. Kat blinks her eyes open, slowly, squints around. Then, voice coarse, asks, “what happened?”

Adena is crying again, they all are, but this time they’re smiling and Adena leans forward, strokes Kat’s face.

“Some asshole ran you over when you tried to cross 42nd,” Sutton says, and Adena chokes on a laugh.

Jane meets her eyes, shakes her head even as she smiles.

“That sucks.” Then, “ _Fuck_ , my head hurts.”

Jane stands, says, “I’ll go let the nurse know,” and Sutton nods.

Adena is crying harder now, releasing all the pent-up emotion and fear of the past fifteen hours, and Kat reaches up, holds her face.

“ _Adena_ , shh, babe, it’s okay,” Kat soothes, still groggy, and Adena’s tears keep falling. “I’m okay. Hey, c’mere,” Kat pulls, until Adena’s head is resting in the crook of her neck, at the seam of her hospital gown.

She feels like she’s intruding, like she definitely needs to give them a moment. So she stands, gives Kat’s calf a squeeze where it’s blanket-covered, and says, “I’m gonna go get some coffee, give you both a minute. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

The last thing she hears before she shuts the door behind her is Kat, whispering to Adena, “ _I love you too._ ”


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving in together

It’s stupid, really, that she feels so nervous about bringing it up. They’ve been together for over a year, and at this point, half of everything she owns is scattered around Adena’s apartment rather than her own.

Adena is stirring something on the stove, back to her while she sits on a stool at the counter, when Kat says, “So, um, I’ve been thinking…”

Adena adjusts the burner and puts the lid back on, turns to face her with a look that encourages her to continue.

“I spend most of my time here. More than my own place. I’ve even done my  _laundry_  here,” she rambles. “And I was thinking, maybe, that it might make more sense for, um, for me to just…not have my own place anymore.”

She wrings her hands together, in her lap, and the look on Adena’s face is unreadable, which only makes things worse.

“You think it would be easier to live here,” Adena answers, and it’s friendly enough but it’s not enthusiastic and she feels like an idiot.

Kat shakes her head, clears her throat, “It-It’s, nevermind, it’s dumb, forget I said anything.”

Adena frowns, leans into the counter, toward her, and Kat avoids her eyes.

“Kat.”

She doesn’t say anything, is feeling more embarrassed and trapped with every second that passes.

“Kat, look at me,” Adena says, softer, and she forces herself to meet her girlfriend’s gaze. When she does, Adena looks reserved but there’s a gentle smile on her lips. “Do you  _want_  to move in with me?” she asks, and Kat narrows her eyes in confusion because she  _just_  told her—

“Or is it a matter of convenience?” Adena finishes, and  _oh_ , that’s what this is about.

Kat laughs, tension escaping her body, and stands from the stool, steps around the counter until Adena is in front of her, without barrier. She links her arms around Adena’s waist, in a loose hold, and looks into her eyes.

“I want to move in with you,” she assures. “I love coming here after work and seeing you. I love when I’m still in bed and I can hear you humming in the shower.” Adena smiles, open and vulnerable, and reaches up to stroke Kat’s hair. “And whenever I stay at my place now, without you, it’s…it just doesn’t feel right anymore.”

She thinks that Adena is about to say something, but then she falters, pauses and leans into Kat instead. Adena pulls at her neck, captures her lips in a kiss, and Kat kisses her back, holds her in the middle of the kitchen.

They kiss for several seconds and then Adena is smiling, giggling into her mouth, when she says, “ _Finally_ ,” and Kat looks confused. “I have been waiting  _months_  for you to be ready.” Kat’s mouth hangs open, scoffing, and Adena laughs, kisses at her cheek. “Yes, you should move in with me.”


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat in a suit + Kat has a hard time picking out an outfit for a date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> not quite a suit, but i had an idea…

“You got a sec? I need your help,” Kat says, steers her by the elbow in the direction of the fashion closet.

“Wha-, ok, sure.”

The door is shut behind them and she sits on the futon, expectant, while Kat stands in front of her.

“I want to try an androgynous outfit. But like, still feminine. For that art exhibit Adena is taking me to tonight.”

Sutton smiles, mind starting to spin with ideas. “What kind of androgynous outfit are we talkin’ here?”

Kat bites at her lip, almost shy, and it’s so endearing she thinks she might combust.

“I wanna try wearing a dress shirt and tie, with a blazer. Maybe some cute chinos. But like, still my personality, you know?”

Kat bounces on her feet, all excess energy and looking around the fashion closet, and Sutton narrows her eyes at her.

“Are you trying to look hipster gay for Adena’s artsy friends?”

Kat glares, cheeks turning pink at being called out. 

“I’m bi.”

“Not the point, and you know it.”

“Adena made a comment, last week. About girls looking good in ties. So maybe I want to try it, to see how she’ll react,” Kat says, and Sutton arches her eyebrow. “Ok, and maybe I also want people to read me as Adena’s girlfriend and not just her friend.”

“Pretty sure they’d pick that up from all the hand holding and the heart eyes, but I support you.”

“Thanks babe. So, help?”

She finds the perfect outfit for Kat. Of course she does, because she’s awesome at this.

There’s a picture posted to Kat’s Instagram, from the gallery later that night, and she looks  _good_. With the navy blazer and the floral dress shirt and the accent tie and her hair pulled up, it’s perfect.

That night, when Sutton gets home, she sends off a text because she’s curious.

_How’d Adena like the outfit?_

She falls asleep before she gets an answer. But when she wakes up, there’s a smirk and a wink emoji from Kat, followed by—

_I owe you._


	53. Chapter 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Against a wall (NSFW-ish)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this ficlet is a companion ficlet to #52, but can also be read separately.

“Are we supposed to be back here?” Kat questions, following behind Adena, hands linked.  

Some light from around the corner is filtering over, but this hallway of the gallery isn’t lit, is separate from the installation that Adena’s friend is debuting tonight.

“ _Prob_ ably not,” Adena admits, flirtatious, and keeps walking.

She rounds another corner, and they’re far enough away that the chatter of voices at the event is fading to quiet. Then her girlfriend leans against a wall, a section where no art pieces are hanging, and pulls Kat toward her by the lapel of her blazer.

Kat meets her eyes, in the dim light, and swallows at the look Adena is giving her.

Adena reaches forward, tugs gently just below the knot of the tie she’s wearing, and blinks up at her. “ _You look_ …”

She doesn’t finish her thought, stares after her lips instead, and Kat smirks.

“I look…?”

Kat teases her, and Adena pulls at her tie until her head is ducked down, whispers “ _shut up,”_ into her mouth before claiming her lips.

She groans, caught off guard by her assertiveness, and lets her body press Adena into the wall, licks into her mouth. Adena lets go of the tie and reaches up to grip at her shoulder instead, other hand cupping Kat’s face.

She’s got one hand braced against the wall, the other wrapped around Adena’s lower back and trapped against the wall when she pulls back just a fraction, murmurs, “I really need to wear ties more often.”

Adena blinks at her, scratches gently at her neck, and the desire clouding her eyes is enough to make Kat breathless.

“Is not the tie,” she says, accent heavy, and Kat quirks her eyebrow. “­ _May_ be a little bit the tie,” and Kat laughs. “But the confidence…the confidence you wear it with, is so sexy.”

And then Adena is kissing her again, deep slow kisses that make her wonder just how far Adena is willing to go in this hallway. And it’s the hottest fucking thing, not actually knowing the answer.

Kat finds out eventually though, when she’s sucking at her neck and Adena’s head thuds against the wall, gasping, “ _We need to leave_.”

Kat’s hand is underneath her silky top, palm flat against the heated skin of her lower back, when she stops and pulls back a full step to collect herself.

Adena is slouched against the wall, spineless and disheveled while she catches her breath, and Kat re-adjusts her tie as best she can without really knowing how.

She clears her throat, tries to ignore how turned on she is when she says, “Well, that was fun.”

“Come on,” Adena laughs, pushing away from the wall. “Let me say some goodbyes first.”  


	54. Chapter 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Kat and Adena work in the same building, Kat has had a crush on her for a while, and they get stuck in an elevator together

She rushes for the elevator as the door’s closing, is determined to not be late for the staff meeting this time, and she doesn’t realize until she’s pushed the button for her floor and adjusted her purse on her shoulder that Adena is there next to her.

Adena, aka hot girl who’s always at the coffee place in the lobby at the same time as her in the mornings, aka girl whose name she only knows because she hears the barista call it out on the regular.

Adena has her coffee in hand. Of course she does, because she didn’t miss her alarm this morning unlike Kat. She gives Kat a silent smile, the amicable kind they’ve been trading for weeks now, and Kat tries not to blush when she smiles back, looks away to the front of the elevator.

She’s pretty sure she can smell Adena’s perfume, not to mention she’s got a gorgeous deep blue hijab covering her hair today along with perfect eye make-up. 

Meanwhile, Kat still hasn’t had her second dose of caffeine and she wore glasses today because she didn’t have time for her contacts, and this is  _far_  too much of her crush to be dealing with right now.

The elevator gives a slight lurch and she grips at the sleek handrail, eyes widening in panic when they grind to a halt.

Adena steps forward, tries to press different buttons at first, and then finally pushes the emergency one when there’s still no movement.

A voice crackles through, from the security office downstairs, and he notifies them that it’s a mechanical issue, that someone will be by to help as soon as possible.

“Well, this is new,” Adena sighs, looking up at her, gorgeous as usual, and Kat feels her face warm.

“You ever been stuck in an elevator?”

Then she cringes because,  _really_?  _That’s_  her opening line?

Adena shakes her head, smiling, and she seems calm enough. “No, I can’t say that I have.”

Kat nods, leans against the railing and tries not to stare too hard when she says, “I was running late this morning, didn’t have time for coffee,” and motions toward Adena’s drink. “Guess it doesn’t matter now.”

Adena watches her, regards her with a little half smile that makes her blush, and she’s pretty sure she’s not going to survive in here much longer. Because with guys? This is stuff is easy, it’s totally cake.

But with girls? With girls it’s terrible, and  _impossible_ , and Sutton is never going to let her live this down.

“I wondered,” Adena says, and Kat blinks. “I didn’t see you this morning.”

Her pulse quickens and she stares down at her shoes, because does that mean Adena—

“I like the glasses. They’re cute.”

“I-, …thanks.”

Adena smiles wider, crosses her arms. “Are you blushing?”

She’s trapped, she’s literally trapped with nowhere to run, so she goes for broke, admits, “Yeah, you kinda have a habit of making me do that.”

“Interesting,” Adena hums, still smiling while she tilts her head, and it’s so clearly flirtatious that Kat’s heart stammers.

“I, um, I’m Kat by the way,” she says, and Adena laughs.

“I know.”

“Oh.”

Their eyes meet and Adena’s expression softens, and  _god_ , she’s so beautiful.

“Kat, would you like to get coffee  _together_  sometime?”

She nods, not quite trusting her words at first, then gives her a shy smile.

“I’d like that.”


	55. Chapter 55

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat calling Adena "baby" and Sutton's reaction

It happens before she can catch herself. The three of them are in line, waiting to order their coffee, and Adena is standing off to the side because Kat’s buying for both of them.

She gets up to the barista and realizes she forgot—

“Hey, baby, did you want cinnamon on your latte?”

Adena is standing just a few feet away, taking note of all the local ads on the shop’s bulletin board, when she looks to Kat and nods, smiling.

“Yes, please.”

She doesn’t realize what she’s done until she hands over her credit card and notices the look on Sutton’s face next to her.

Her eyes are wide, sparkling, and Kat can see the teasing that’s about to happen before it even escapes her mouth.

Kat lifts her finger, jabs at her chest, “ _Don’t_ even.”

Sutton grins wider, while Jane steps forward to place her order next.

“Oh, no no. We’re talking about this.”

Kat’s cheeks blush pink and Jane turns around.

“Talking about what?”

“Can we  _not_?” Kat whisper shouts. Adena notices and looks over at the three of them, curious.

“Okay, okay, fine…  _baby_.”

Jane realizes then, what Sutton’s talking about, and starts laughing while Kat glares at them both.

They all step to the side, to wait for their coffee orders, and Adena slips her arms around Kat’s waist from behind, rests her chin against the side of her shoulder.

“Everything ok?” she asks, sensing Kat’s shift in mood.

“She’s mad we’re making fun of her,” Jane explains, and Adena quirks her eyebrow in question, arms still around Kat.

“But only because it’s the cutest thing ever and she’s never been like this,” Sutton adds, poking at Kat’s arm to get her to lighten up.

Adena nudges Kat with her chin, looks up at her for an explanation, and Kat smiles, shy when she says, “You bring out a different side of me, that they’re not used to.”

Sutton is smiling so wide, bouncing on her toes, that Kat thinks her best friend’s face might crack.


	56. Chapter 56

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One of them can't drive

It seems like a great idea, once they get the logistics figured out.

Jane says she’s never seen a meteor shower and Sutton can’t believe it. Kat tells Adena about the idea that night, of getting out of the city to see the Orionid shower in a few weeks.

(“You want to go camping?” Adena smiles, clarifies.

“Hey hey hey, I said meteors. Not camping. I do not camp. I do glamping, at most.”

“Glamping?”

“Yeah, glamorous camping. The kind with mattresses and heat and real bathrooms.”

“Soo, not camping?”)

They’re going glamping for the Orionid meteor shower, and Adena agrees to drive the rental car because no one else wants to.

It seems like a great idea. Until they’re actually on their way, with Adena behind the wheel.

They haven’t even made it out of the city and Kat already has so many regrets. Adena cuts someone off, does some weird triple honk with the horn and shouts something in Farsi that she can’t understand.

Her coffee sloshes in its paper cup and her right forearm slams into the arm rest along the door, gripping for dear life.

She hears Jane mutter, “oh my god” from the backseat and Sutton meets her eyes through the rearview mirror. Kat’s eyes are wide, horrified, and Sutton’s mouth is clamped shut to hold in her laughter.

“You ok, babe?” Kat asks, cautious, and Adena gives her a relaxed smile.

“Of course. Why?”

Kat scrunches her eyebrows, nods her head toward the traffic.

“Oh, is nothing,” Adena dismisses with a wave of her hand.

It’s not nothing. Adena weaves in an out of lanes, nearly collides with a taxi at one point before they make it to the bridge.

“So, Adena, you drive often?” Sutton asks, friendly, conversational, and Kat gives her another look through the mirror. Jane is silent, eyes squeezed shut.

“Not often. Mostly when I visit Tehran,” she answers, calm as she speeds across the bridge. “But I do have valid license here, just in case.”

Kat tries to keep her tone neutral when she asks, “So, uh, does everyone in Tehran drive like you?”

Adena laughs, eyes sparkling when she glances over at Kat.

“This is nothing compared to Tehran.”

Sutton’s, “ _Wow_ , okay,” is followed by her own, “please be careful,” and Adena turns on the radio.

“Relax, everything is fine.”

Kat’s phone buzzes in her lap, a text in the group chat from Jane.

_Never again._


	57. Chapter 57

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> AU where Kat doesn't know Adena and she accidentally sexts her (NSFW-ish)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kat is openly bi in this AU

It’s past midnight when her phone buzzes on the table, draws her away from photo editing and the glare of her laptop screen.

_heyy_

It comes from a number that her phone doesn’t recognize, but it has a local area code. She stares at the number for a couple of minutes, trying to think of who might be texting her this late that managed to escape her contacts. Eventually she gives up on guessing, texts back—

_Who is this?_

A couple minutes pass with no response and she returns to her work, promises herself that she’ll finish up and get to bed soon. She’s just finished organizing a new photo folder, about ten minutes later, when her phone buzzes again.

There’s another text, followed by a picture.

_remember me now?_

And then she nearly drops her phone.

Because it’s a woman. A  _very_  attractive woman that she does not recognize. The woman is laying in bed, biting her lip and wearing a black lacy bra, showing off her chest and stomach.

And she immediately realizes that this person, whoever she is, has the wrong number. She feels wrong for staring at the photo, even though she finds it impossible to look away, because she was not the intended recipient. She knows that she has to tell her, to be honest and make her aware.

She thinks over her words carefully, eventually types and sends back—

_You’re gorgeous, but I think you have the wrong number_

Typing bubbles appear immediately and then—

_wait are you fucking w me or are you for real_

Followed by—

_you arent Andre??_

She frowns, realizes how awkward this must be for the woman.

_No sorry_

It takes her longer to type this time but eventually she gets a response, sees—

_shit my bad. youre welcome for the free show_

Then—

_but pls delete it_

Adena chews at her lip, tries to figure out how to make this woman feel less uncomfortable and exposed. Should she tell her she’s a woman? But then, is that comforting considering she’s also a lesbian?

Eventually she decides to take a selfie, a simple  _clothed_  one, so the woman can see who received her photo and there’s at least some semblance of mutuality and exposure when she assures her that she will delete the picture.

She gives a small smile, from her spot snuggled up on the sofa, and sends it off along with—

_Of course. Consider it deleted. And now you know a little better who received it._

The reply comes through quickly and she blinks, blushes in surprise.

_um hel-lo_

_speaking of gorgeous_..

Then—

_best wrong number ever_

Adena stares off into her empty living room, wondering if that means—

_what’s your name?_

She quickly answers, still blushing—

_Adena. And yours?_

_Wow you actually answered me. Does that mean youre into girls?_

Then—

_I’m Kat_

It’s followed by a wink and a kiss emoji and Adena laughs, shakes her head, because what are the odds that–

_Yes I am_

_Hello Kat_

There isn’t a response for a few minutes and Adena wonders if she should say something else, has never really been good at texting even with friends, let alone in a situation like this.

Just as she’s about to try typing another reply, a new message comes through.

_This one’s for you Adena ;)_

There’s another picture, and Adena swallows.

Because Kat is still in bed, but this time the camera is angled further down so that she can’t see her face anymore. Instead, Adena can now see her underwear. Her very black very lacy underwear.

She’s so ridiculously sexy that Adena idly wonders if she’s being pranked right now somehow. Because this sort of thing doesn’t just  _happen_  to someone on a random Thursday night.

_You really are so gorgeous_

She repeats herself from earlier, not sure what else to say that captures what she’s thinking right now. At least, the thoughts that feel appropriate enough to share with a virtual stranger. She can’t help that her mind is wandering, starting to picture this woman in her bed, wherever she is.

_What would you do right now, if you were here with me?_

Whoever Kat is, she’s confident. And  _very_  forward.


	58. Chapter 58

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat's dream in 1x02 (NSFW)

Her whole body feels wound up, sweat sticking to her naked skin as she clutches at the sheets. She gasps when there’s another sucking kiss, delivered to her neck, and she arches up into the body on top of her.

There are hands, tracing patterns all over the sides of her ribs, her hips, her thighs, alighting her nerves and leaving goosebumps in their wake.  

The grinding of their bodies becomes more insistent and she moans, tilts her head back into the pillow.

_“Adena…”_

When she looks up again, Adena is there, eyes dark and flirtatious, watching her. Kat reaches forward to cup her jaw, pulls her in for a deep kiss and revels in how good it feels, to have Adena’s body pressed into hers like this.

The mounting tension between her legs is getting unbearable, and when Adena grinds down again she shudders.

_“Please just—”_

She stirs awake, shirt sticking to her skin in the heat of the New York summer, and her heart stammers when she realizes that she—

She bolts upright in bed, switches the lamp on and rubs at her face.

Adena. She just had a sex dream about Adena.

A dream that, judging by how wound up she feels right now, she  _very_  much enjoyed. She takes a slow breath, tries to calm herself, and then flops back down into the mattress.

She trails her hand down her own overheated body, into her underwear, and groans at the wetness that’s there.

Yep. She  _definitely_  was enjoying her dream about Adena.

She tries to conjure back the images, keeps her hand there and works at relieving the tension. But she can’t. As soon as she starts thinking about details, about what it would look like to have sex with Adena, she can’t.

She’s confused and turned on and it’s 4 AM and she has work today. So she settles on a familiar fantasy, a comfortable one, and touches herself until she comes.

Her orgasm washes over her with ease. But when she’s still coming down, pleasure ringing through her body, it’s Adena that she sees. Adena, under the duvet with her in her bed. Smiling and touching Kat’s face and leaning in to kiss her.

She’s gonna need to process this one with her friends.  ASAP.


	59. Chapter 59

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adena is ticklish

Jane proposes Twister for game night. Mostly because she knows it’s the one thing Kat is so used to losing that it makes her slightly less competitive.

Adena tilts her head, confused when Sutton starts unwrapping the mat.

“How does this game work?”

“You’ve never played Twister!?”

Adena, it turns out, takes to the game like a pro. Kat fares far worse and eventually gives up, nominates herself as the person permanently in charge of the spinner.  

“Right foot blue, Sutton,” Kat instructs from her spot on the sofa, takes a sip of her wine.

“ _Dammit_.”

Sutton tries, she really does, but Jane’s head is in her way and she falters, falling to her side.

“Yes! Ha!” Jane exclaims, still arched backwards on the mat, head hanging upside down.  

“Is the blood rushing to your head yet?” Sutton answers, to stop her gloating, and Jane keeps smiling.

Kat flicks the spinner again, waits to see where it lands. “Left hand green, baby.”

It’s not an easy move but Adena manages, bending her body further and overlapping with Jane’s leg. Tiny Jane and her pilates-loving self has finally met her Twister match, apparently.

Sutton snaps her fingers in front of Kat’s face, steals her wine glass to take a sip. “Stop staring at Adena’s ass and spin again, spinner.”

Kat glares, yanking the glass back, and hears her girlfriend laugh even though she can’t see her face.

“Right hand yellow!”

Jane lucks out because it’s a super easy move. But then the same thing happens to Adena.

Kat and Sutton get impatient and start heckling both of them, trying to get someone to fall.

“Adena’s super ticklish behind her knees,” Kat reveals, conspiring.

“Unbelievable. No loyalty,” Adena huffs at the same time as Jane’s—

“I’m winning this fair and square. Don’t worry, Adena.”

“Booo.”

“Left foot red.”

There’s no way Adena is going to be able to manage this one. Except she somehow does, arching her body and leaving Kat and Sutton both staring.

“She must be  _fantastic_  in bed,” Sutton says, and Adena’s arms give out, whole body shaking with laughter.

Jane finally lets her body relax to the ground, still the reigning Twister champion, and Kat takes another sip of her wine.

“I mean, you’re not wrong.”


	60. Chapter 60

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laser tag

It’s Alex’s idea. He tells Sutton first, about the new laser tag place that just opened and they should get some Scarlet people together to go.

Sutton tells them both in the fashion closet, says, “Alex wants us to do laser tag next weekend. Thoughts?”

Jane’s, “what are we, fourteen?” is spoken at the same time as her—

“Um,  _yes_. I’m so down.” Then, “Don’t be a fun-sucker, tiny Jane.”

Jane rolls her eyes but eventually agrees, and then Sutton turns to her, asks, “Hey, do you think Adena would play?”

Jane laughs and they both look to her. “Sorry, I’m just, picturing that in my head right now.”

“Lowkey, I feel like she would surprise everyone and annihilate them,” Sutton muses, and Kat makes a face, laughing.

“No way,” she says, shaking her head. “But I’ll ask her if she wants to come.”

 

She ducks behind a wall, hiding from her social media associate Kelsey, and hears Alex yell, “Aww man!”

Then she hears Sutton’s victorious, “Yes! Gotcha!” before darting further away again.

She hasn’t seen Adena anywhere in a while, but she also knows she’s not out yet, and Kat wonders where she’s hiding.

The outline of Jane’s body appears, shirt glowing softly under the blacklights and Kat raises her laser gun to get her. But before she can even pull the trigger, Jane’s vest is lighting up that she’s been shot.

“What the…?” she hears Jane mutter, spinning in a circle to look around her. There’s no one there except for Kat, who’s already ducked down to hide again.

She does the math in her head, knows it must have either been Sutton or Adena because everyone else is out now.

But neither of them are anywhere to be found, and so Kat searches for higher ground, to get a better vantage point. She finds a staircase that she didn’t notice before, shrouded in darkness with very little light, and makes her way up the steps.

And she nearly trips on the platform, because there, lying on her stomach is—

Her vest lights up and Adena starts laughing, barely visible under the dark glow of a purple light.

It seems that Sutton has caught on too, because she connects to the platform from a staircase on the other side, shoots Adena before she can turn around. Adena’s vest is glowing green when she hears Sutton, through the dark—

“Victoryyy!” Then, “Have you been here  _sniping_  people this whole time?”

Adena just keeps laughing, not at all upset that Sutton got her, and she pushes up onto her feet.

“That was fun. A strange game, but very fun.”

Kat stares, laughing in disbelief at her girlfriend.

The lights turn on and they make their way out to join everyone else, checking the scoreboard. Sutton won in terms of being the last one standing, but as far as points go—

“Baby, what the fuck?”

Everyone stares at Adena and she smiles, takes her vest off.

“Called it,” Sutton reminds them, and Kat stares after Adena when she walks away to go get some water.

“I’m a little turned on right now?” Kat says to herself, head tilted, and Sutton slings her arm around her shoulders, pats her.

“She’s hilarious sometimes,” Sutton says, nodding in Adena’s direction. “It’s great, I love it.”

Kat smiles, turns to meet Sutton’s eyes.  “Yeah, me too.”


	61. Chapter 61

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sutton and Jane show up at Kat's place

A man lets them into Kat’s apartment building on his way out, before they have to ring the buzzer.

They’re climbing the steps to the second floor together and she’s holding a bottle of cab when Jane asks, “So, romcom or drama tonight?

“Mm, I’m thinkin drama.”

“Really? Seemed like you were in more of a romcom mood.”

“Well, maybe. Wait, which romcom? ‘Cause if it’s the new Ryan Gosling one…”

Sutton adjusts the bottle of wine in her hand and reaches forward to knock at Kat’s door with the other.

“What’s that one called again?” Jane says, waiting in front of Kat’s door with her.

“I don’t remember, we’ll have to IMDB it.”

Sutton waits another second and then knocks again, louder.

“Kat, let us in, we’re ready to ready to stare at Ryan Gosling’s face for two hours.”

She’s about to knock for a third time or text her when the door swings open.

“Finally.” Sutton moves to enter her apartment. “Cute bralette by the way.”

Kat holds her arm out, standing there in sweatpants and an olive green bralette, and moves to block their path.

“Umm, whatcha doin here?” Kat asks, and Sutton notices that she looks flustered.

“It’s Thursday,” Jane reminds her.

“No, it’s n— _Fuck_ , it’s totally Thursday,” Kat groans, pinching the bridge of her nose.

Sutton narrows her eyes, evaluating the situation when—

“Kat?”

The voice comes from her bedroom and all of them turn their heads. Then Kat’s looking back at them, cringing and then pursing her lips.

Sutton gives her a shit-eating grin, knows she’s gonna be giving Kat a hard time about this for days, then shouts, “Hi, Adena!”

Jane is just shaking her head, laughing to herself, and Kat presses her palm to her forehead.

“You’re never gonna let me forget this, are you?” Kat mutters.

“Oh, definitely not.”

Adena emerges several seconds later in leggings and an oversized t-shirt of Kat’s that she obviously just grabbed, hair loosely covered with a thin mismatched scarf.

“Kat?” Adena asks again, confused this time, and walks up to stand beside her in the entryway.

“She forgot it was movie night,” Jane supplies helpfully.

“Had other plans in mind apparently,” Sutton grins, looks Adena up and down like they all know exactly who the plan was.

Adena takes it in stride, not at all embarrassed, and gives Kat a flirtatious look. “Interesting…”

Kat folds her arms across her bare abdomen, glaring at Sutton.

“Adena, how do you feel about Ryan Gosling?” Jane asks with a straight face and Kat blinks up at the ceiling, groaning to herself.

“He’s a talented actor.”

“Spoken like a true lesbian,” Sutton nods, and then turns to Kat. “We’re re-scheduling, aren’t we?”

“ _Oh_  yeah.”

“Ok fine, but we’re drinking this cab without you tonight.” Jane nods in agreement. “Have fun, make good choices,” Sutton pats her shoulder.

Then Kat shuts the door in their faces and she can hear Adena’s muffled voice on the other side saying, “That was rude.”

They laugh and make their way back down the stairs together. They know that Kat is just in her honeymoon phase right now, heightened by the fact that she and Adena were separated for weeks while she waited for a new visa.

Soon enough Kat will resurface and she’ll figure out how to balance her friendships and her relationship. But in the meantime? In the meantime they’re gonna give her as much shit for it as possible.


	62. Chapter 62

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first time Adena dreams about Kat (NSFW)

It’s her third night back in Tehran for the current photo project she’s working on, and she’s glad to finally sink into the mattress of her bed after a long day of work.

Try as she might, she can’t stop thinking about the picture that Kat sent her. For many reasons. But the current and main one being that, save for the concealing emoji, Kat appeared to be topless in the picture.

And that…  _that_  is giving her thoughts that she definitely should not be having. Of Kat topless in front of her, of Kat topless in her bed. Of Kat in any kind of intimate way, period.

Because they’re friends. New friends. And there’s Coco. Her girlfriend.

Coco, who didn’t even care to see her off to Tehran, who’s barely been in touch with her since she got here. Her girlfriend who’s been so distant lately that she can’t imagine trying to start something flirtatious, sexual, over the phone.

So maybe that makes her feel less guilty, when she runs her fingertips over the soft skin of her stomach, dips her hand beneath the seam of her underwear, and Kat is the one on her mind.

It’s dangerous territory, she knows, to let Kat into her head like this. But it’s been a really long day, and Coco is absent, and she lets herself indulge it anyway.

It should probably trouble her, how easily the images come to mind. Instead, all she feels is warm, and a pleasant tension in her body. She closes her eyes and Kat is there, startlingly clear, blinking down at her with lidded eyes, gorgeous curly hair pulled up on her head, exposing her neck and collarbones.

Kat is hovering over her, trailing teasing paths with her fingertips all over her stomach, her thighs. Then she’s smiling, dipping down to kiss and nip at her neck while her hand slides down to touch Adena, over the thin cotton of her underwear, and she lets out a quiet moan.

She teases herself, works herself up for several minutes, and imagines it’s Kat doing it the entire time. That it’s Kat finally pushing past her underwear more fully, feeling for herself how wet she is.

Kat has such a passionate focused way about her and she shudders, bites at her lip when she imagines that energy directed at her like this, in bed. Imagines Kat entering her slowly, whispering in her ear, fucking her.

She clenches at her own fingers, tips her head back into the pillow and whimpers into the quiet darkness of her room as she pushes closer to her orgasm.

Kat is looking down at her, all focused passion trained on her a few minutes later when she smiles a sexy coy smile, grinds down in one fluid motion and leans down to whisper against her ear.

“ _That’s it. Come for me, baby.”_

And she does. Her whole body tenses up, back arching slightly as she lets the pleasure consume her, and she comes with Kat’s name on her lips, moaning into the darkness.

She’s still trembling several seconds later, waves of pleasure washing over her, and she knows it’s the strongest orgasm she’s had in a while. She lets herself relax into the pleasure for a couple minutes, breath evening out, before she really thinks about what just happened.

It’s dangerous, sure, to fantasize about Kat like that. But the real danger, she knows, is in how she feels right now, sated and sleepy and wishing Kat was there to fall sleep with her.

It sneaks up on her, unexpectedly, and she squeezes her eyes shut, tries to push the mental imagine away.

It stays anyway, and she drifts off to sleep knowing she’ll have to face this new crush eventually. Just not tonight.  


	63. Chapter 63

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat takes Adena as her date to her cousin's wedding

She’s never had a large extended family, never had the experience of growing up around a bunch of cousins. She literally only has five of them, two on her dad’s side and three on her mom’s side. Or, as she likes to call them, the bourgeois Boston cousins, and the Connecticut cousins.

She isn’t particularly close to her cousins, but they’ve always been friendly with each other, acknowledging each other’s birthdays every year and talking on the phone around the holidays. But it’s easy to lose track of most of the details of their lives, which is how she somehow manages to forget that Jake’s engaged, until she gets the invite in the mail for the wedding in Martha’s Vineyard.

She keeps the invitation to herself for a while, because it’s only March and the wedding isn’t until late July and she and Adena have only been official for less than four months. So it feels like a lot, to ask her to be her plus one this far in advance.

But then early June comes around and Adena is still her girlfriend, has recently met Kat’s parents, and she really wants Adena to be her plus one.

Adena is on her sofa that morning, sipping from a mug of tea and reading her book, when she says—

“So one of my cousins is getting married next month, in Martha’s Vineyard.”

Adena looks up from the page, feet still tucked under her legs and mug resting on her knee.

“That’s exciting.”

“Yeah, it is.” Then, “Do you wanna be my plus one? I know you won’t really know many people there, but to be honest, I probably won’t either. And I know it’s gonna be swanky as shit, so that’ll be fun.”

Adena laughs, gives her a beautiful smile and nods without hesitation.

“I’d love to, Kat.”  

 

Adena is wearing a pale pink dress that flows down to mid-calf, hair wrapped in a floral silk hijab, and Kat can’t stop staring at her. She thinks that Adena knows it, based on the look and the coy smile that she keeps giving her.

It’s a gorgeous summer wedding and the reception is outside, on the private grounds of a country club that sits right near the coastline. A live band is playing in the background, because of course her cousin got a live band, and Kat finishes off her dessert, setting her fork down.

“You’ve been staring at me all evening,” Adena says from the seat beside her, flirtatious smile on her lips when she leans forward to rest her chin in her hand, eyes sparkling.

“It’s ‘cause you’re gorgeous,” she answers with an easy smile, relaxed and a tiny bit champagne buzzed.

Her gaze is full of love when she reaches out to stroke Kat’s cheek with her thumb, gently cupping her face.

“You look stunning today,” she murmurs, and Kat quirks her eyebrow, teasing.

“Only today?”

Adena lets out a breathy laugh and rolls her eyes.

“Can’t feed your ego too much.”

“Uh huh.”

She leans forward, presses a soft kiss to Adena’s lips and feels her smile into it. Then she ducks her head down, whispers against Adena’s ear—

“You wanna ditch this for now and go down to the water?”

When she pulls back, Adena is biting her lip and nodding, and Kat links their hands together, guides them away from the reception area and towards a walking path that leads down to the beach. The breeze is gentle and warm tonight and she can hear the waves crashing against the sand, sees the seafoam catch the light that’s fading to dusk.

“Here,” she says when they reach the edge of the sand, helping Adena hold her shoulder for balance, “take your heels off.”

Kat does the same once Adena’s barefoot, heels dangling in a loose grip in her hand, and then she holds her hand, pulls them onto the sand and toward the water. Adena holds her arm with her free hand, head resting against her shoulder as they walk together.

It’s quiet aside from the sound of the waves and she breathes in the fresh sea air, eyes closed and smile on her face. She feels Adena snuggle further into her and she holds her close, careful not to let her shoes get dirt on Adena’s dress.

Then she pulls back, keeps holding Adena’s hand when she takes a few steps forward, toes squishing into the wet sand where the waves are hitting. Adena joins her, and then a few seconds later another wave comes up, spilling over their toes, and Adena squeals, jumping back.

“That’s so cold!”

She laughs, joyous laughter bubbling out of her as she chases after Adena, shoes dropped, and wraps her arms around her waist from behind, keeping her in the wet part of the sand and the path of the waves.

“Kat!”

Adena laughs, squirming but not making any real effort to get away, and Kat holds her tighter, ducks her head down to kiss at her bare shoulder. Another wave spills over their feet and Adena shudders but she stays standing there with her and Kat smiles into her skin.

“I love the ocean.”

Adena reaches up, strokes at her hair while Kat keeps her head ducked down, kissing at Adena’s shoulder and neck.

“I can tell,” Adena laughs quietly, and Kat hums.

“And I love you,” she murmurs, quieter. “So much.”

Adena holds Kat’s arms where they’re wrapped around her from behind, leans into her and tilts her head back, content.


	64. Chapter 64

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat goes down on Adena for the first time (NSFW)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> for context’s sake, i’m following my headcanon that kat didn’t go down on adena during their first time at the airport. so i imagine this happens at some point when they’re in peru together~

She tries to stay calm, to keep her breathing even. She really does. But Kat is kissing her stomach, nipping at the skin along her hipbone, and blinking up at her. She’d be lying to herself if she said she hasn’t fantasized about this many, many times.

About Kat, so confident and effortlessly sexy, kissing down her body, making her come with her tongue. The fantasy alone has pushed her to the edge more than once, made her cry out in the silence and privacy of her bedroom, touching herself.

She thinks Kat has no idea how worked up she feels right now, just from seeing Kat like this, naked and eye-level with her stomach, kissing at the soft skin there.

“I like these on you,” Kat whispers, pressing a soft kiss to her navy-blue panties, at the spot below her hip bone.

She reaches her hand down, runs her fingers through Kat’s hair in a comforting gesture.

“Are you nervous?”

Kat breaks eye contact with her, stares at her thigh and releases an awkward laugh that tries to be dismissive. “Do I seem nervous?”

She trails her fingertips down to Kat’s jaw, then tilts her chin up, gently guiding Kat to meet her eyes. “Yes.”

Kat finally looks up at her, shrugs in a way that makes her smaller, makes her closed-off. “Guess it’s more obvious to you than I thought it was,” Kat laughs, but it doesn’t reach her eyes and she looks away again. Then, “God, I feel like such a high schooler.”

Adena frowns and sits up on her elbows. She knows that this is new for Kat, of course she does.

“It wasn’t an accusation,” she says, gentle. “Talk to me. What’s on your mind?” She runs her fingers through Kat’s hair until she looks up again.

“I don’t like being new at this. I like knowing what I’m doing, and I like knowing that I’m good at it.”

Adena relaxes, glad that Kat is comfortable enough to be honest with her. But she also can’t help but smile, because—

“Give me your hand,” Adena murmurs, affectionate and full of desire. She gently holds the back of Kat’s hand, keeps eye contact with her as she bites her lip and guides Kat into her underwear.

“Adena, wh—” Kat’s words cut off with a groan when she realizes, when she feels for herself just how much she’s turned on right now. Then, before either of them can get too distracted, she pulls Kat’s hand away again.

“I know you haven’t done this before,” Adena says, voice heavy with desire. “And I know that bothers you. But is ok, Kat. Really. I just want you.” Kat smiles, finally leaning into her touch again instead of shying away from it. “I want you,” she says again, voice low, and Kat swallows.

Kat pauses, and then she starts kissing her stomach again. But it’s different this time. There’s a confidence to Kat’s movements instead of a hesitation. She feels Kat’s fingers hook beneath her underwear, and then Kat blinks up at her, with that gorgeous confident smirk Adena has come to love and crave.

“I want you too.”

Then Kat tugs at her underwear, drags them down her thighs and tosses them aside. She ducks down, presses a hot open-mouthed kiss to her inner thigh, and Adena trembles.

“You’ll tell me?” Kat asks, and Adena holds back a moan when she feels her breath, feels how close Kat’s lips are. “If you don’t like something that I’m doing?”

“Yes,” she assures, trying to focus. “Though,” her breath catches, and Kat smiles up at her, “I don’t think that will be a problem. But yes.”

“Okay.”

Then she feels the slick glide of Kat’s tongue, without pause or hesitation, and Adena moans with surprise, holds Kat’s hair at the base of her neck to anchor herself.

It’s really not going to be a problem. 


End file.
